We have a Constitution

and a process for amending it.

There has been talk, from time to time, of rewriting our Constitution.  Certainly any reasonable person would think that now, when we are so divided and combative is not the time to do that.

Certainly, there are changes that need to be made but the existing amendment process that would normally work is also compromised by those same divisions and fights.

The Constitution is very clear about some things and intentionally vague and open to interpretation in others.  I think that's by design.  However, that's not really the problem.  The problem is that the division of the 2 major parties, to the exclusion of any other, has resulted in nearly complete abandonment of what is actually in the Constitution.

The current administration, lead by a pathological con man who is completely disinterested in anything other than whatever happens to be in his own mind at any particular point in time, has little interest in our Constitution, particularly if it is at odds with the current interests of the Lunatic in Chief. (He has been diagnosed by many professionals).

Even those who probably know better are ignoring what the Constitution says because it serves their immediate purposes to do so.

Still our Constitution exists and will, eventually, be the measure of the lawlessness that currently reigns in the White House and other government institutions.  It is the basis of the Law of the land despite the Supreme Court's own abandonment of its principles whose purpose is to rule on the Constitutionality of all subsequent laws and regulations.  They too will be measured by those principles.

What I've learned recently - updated

 I've been playing with this blog for a couple of years.  

I began this in April so this is an update even though I didn't publish it earlier.

What I've learned over the past couple of years is that I, and therefore most of you, have not been sufficiently educated about the founding of our country, the history of the colonies that became the early states and the men who wrote the defining documents of our government.

As I begin to write something, it is my intention to be accurate about the topic while expressing my opinion about the topic.  In order to be accurate, it's necessary to know what you're talking about, in contrast to the person who currently occupies OUR White House, who has little interest in accuracy or truth, only in his own wishes, whims and aims.

I realized that I know little about the men who wrote the documents that define our government and the early presidents.  I decided to do some research about them.  That will take time.  There will be a page that shows that research.

In the meantime, I will say that I have some experience that may explain my interest in this and what I bring to this discussion.

I have lived and worked in 4 states in public employment, specifically as a librarian, but as an executive librarian.  I was considered a municipal department head and named as such in a couple of positions.  

I worked with a variety of municipal departments, individuals and various community organizations.  In the case of community organizations, I have had the experience a few times of assisting them as the organization was being formed; that included writing their By-Laws (like a Constitution).  I also did the same with a couple of larger library organizations of which my library was a member.  

I have also, over the years, worked with many library boards and municipal councils and know how they work.  I've also seen that regardless of the purpose and function of any organization, the individual members and their personalities, strengths and weaknesses, affect the operations.

"Story:"

I worked as a branch librarian in a town (which will remain unnamed) in the San Francisco Bay Area, for a while. I was warned to be careful around a particular Town Council member, an older man who'd been on the council for a long time.  

Apparently, one of the things he liked to do was to spend time at the Corporation Yard, the town's place where they house and maintain the town's vehicles. This particular operation varies from town to town depending on the budget and the facilities they have.  In any case, this old fart liked to drive the vehicles around the parking lot of the Corporation Yard and he was allowed to do that.  It's just not acceptable behavior but some people get away with things.  

Why is it a problem?  THINK!!  They aren't his vehicles; they're bought with tax-payers' money.  Some of them, like fire engines, are enormously expensive and are expected to last as long as possible.  Is he going to pay for the gas, any repairs that might be needed?  Unlikely.  In addition, by being on a town's vehicle, any injury he might incur - who's going to pay for that?

Some of us understand all of that without explanation; we were raised with boundaries.  Some of you might not understand if you were not so raised.

People who think they have the right to take advantage of their position, whatever that might be, are problems and potentially dangerous, in various ways, for others around them.  They can be stopped but the repercussions can be as much of a problem as the bad behavior.

So, local councils and boards are much like Congress and the Senate.  They are elected officials, entrusted to represent the best interests of their constituents and OUR country.  But, they are just people.  When we elect them, we don't know them, we hope they'll make things better or leave things in good shape.  There are little guidelines in OUR Constitution about how they should do their jobs.

When the Constitution was written and the country was being formed, things were much different than they are now.  The federal government operated much like local councils.  Now, many of them are making decisions far beyond their abilities.  It's really frightening.

In any case, as early as Civics class in high school, I have questions and opinions about how the process of government worked, thus this blog.