March 2006 Archives

By JAKE
MOKRIS

In a speech against the original version of the new immigration bill, Sen. Hillary Clinton completely surprised me. She said that the bill would incriminate “probably even Jesus himself.�

I do not claim to know why she said that. The first thing that came into my mind was the statement’s irony: Sen. Clinton violated the “separation of church and state.� I laughed when I heard her appeal to religion to support her argument. I don’t think the potential Democratic candidate for president should get away with that.

But there is a greater issue: The role of religion in politics. Does the Constitution allow Sen. Clinton and other politicians to mention religion and use religious arguments in politics?

By JAKE
MOKRIS

Here’s an easy question: What symbol captures the essence of the American spirit and identity? The easy answer is, of course, the American flag.

The flag represents just about everything American: the war for independence, the Constitution, our freedoms, our government, the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who have died to defend our country, various definitions of “the American dream.�

You would think that we would take good care of such a symbol.

And many people do.

But the exceptions are disturbing: I have seen dingy flags, ripped flags, faded flags, frayed flags, flags hung from clotheslines. My mom saw a flag in a flowerpot.

By JAKE
MOKRIS

Homer. Marge. Bart and Lisa. Maggie. Mr. Flanders. Moe. Smithers. I have not watched “The Simpsons� for a long time, but I am able to remember the names of some of the characters (though it took me a while to remember Mr. Burns). Unfortunately, many Americans know more about “The Simpsons� than they do about the Constitution, according to a recent poll.

This is not good. Americans ought to know their own Constitution. There is nothing wrong with knowing all about a TV show; I know a disproportionate amount of information about “Star Trek.� But television ranks far lower than the Constitution in importance, for the Constitution –– not Homer –– says how our government is to function. Yet the issue is far beyond that: American society is in danger if its people are not informed on the Constitution.