In the coming weeks as judge Sotomayor goes through the fire of confirmation as an US Supreme Court justice we should tune our ears to the rhetoric of both the left and the right. When we hear the screams of fear and foul play or the sweet voices of empathy and compassion, we must use our capacity for reasoning and detection to understand why those voices are being raised. We will hear more on the evils of policy making from the bench and personal agendas and biases. We will hear more of life experiences and overcoming hardship. But, does any of that matter? It’s hard to tell right now, yet here is how I see it.

It is the responsibility of our Supreme Court to (continue reading…)

One of the great open secrets of our society is the simplicity of the single document from which all law must spring, the Constitution. It is an outline of government, it is the rulebook, and it is the ultimate law to which all laws must be accountable.

The US Constitution is far simpler than most appear to realize; it can be read in a matter of minutes. My copy will fit in a shirt pocket. The greatest kept secret is that (continue reading…)