The "Bully" Pulpit

There's more bad news today for the American culture and the United States Constitution.  Specifically, I refer to the fact that the United States has always been - although not so much now - a nation of laws and not men.  This is one of the basic premises of our founding; that we are not subject to the whims of those in power.  That seemingly has changed through the bullying from those in Washington

There are many, many examples of this.  The most recent is Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's veto of SB 1062, the Religious Freedom Bill.  Leftist opponents renamed it the anti-gay bill, in keeping with their practice of demonetization and changing the debate by changing the language.   What the bill simply said was that everyone was empowered to practice his religion in his place of business, as he does at home or in church.  So if you're a baker or a photographer who would rather not bake a cake or visually record a homosexual wedding based on your religious convictions, there was no compulsion, neither legal nor moral, to do so.  Freedom of choice.  Pretty straightforward, right?  Not according to the GLBT lobby, who along with their allies on the left, bullied Governor Brewer into vetoing a law that should be self evident in a free society.  But the pressure was intense to nullify what the state legislature - lawmakers placed in office by the citizens of Arizona - clearly passed as being the will of the people.  But it's discrimination, you see, and it can't be tolerated.  Yet the individual freedom it tramples is manifest:  if you're queer, go get your wedding cake created by queer-friendly bakers. If you're disinclined to deal with homosexuals, feel free to service whatever customers you choose.  There is no scarcity; there are bakers and photographers aplenty, and free choice allows like to attract like.  But it's not about freedom of choice.  It's about the destruction of anything that accepts moral absolutes.  And the bullying from the minions of the executive branch.  Take it a step further.  Let's say you believe homosexuality is a sin because your religion, that is, your underlying moral authority, says so.  Let's also say that you believe murder and predatory sex with minors is a sin for the same reason.  Why then does a well funded GLBT lobby advocate for homosexual in-your-face actions, yet continues to frown upon and punish murder and predatory sex with minors?  Homosexuality and murder is a sin in many major religions, Christianity and Islam among them.  Selective enforcement, obviously.  But we must eradicate the culture of personal freedom and morality, and nothing can stand in the way of that goal.  I can guess who is really behind these coordinated and well financed affronts on freedom and moral culture.  Qui Bene?

Another example of dwindling freedom is the erosion of our concept of separation of powers.  Many folks, both in government and in academia, are sounding the alarm about the usurpation of the power of the legislative and judicial branches, especially as it concerns balancing the power of the executive branch.  During testimony before the House Judiciary Committee yesterday, liberal constitutional professor Jonathan Turley said that the Obama's (as well as George W. Bush's) blatant overreach of executive power is “accelerating” and that the growth of such power has brought us to a constitutional tipping point.  “I believe we are now at a constitutional tipping point in our system,” Turley, who teaches law at George Washington University, said. “It’s a dangerous point for our system to be in, and I believe that your response has to begin before this president leaves office. No one in our system goes it alone.”  Turley noted that while he agrees with the President on most of his policies, it still “does not alter the fact that I believe the means he is doing is wrong” and that the continued acceleration of executive power can be “a dangerous change in our system."  No kidding!  The legislature writes laws, that we, as a constitutional republic, require them to do.  The executive branch - the president - enacts those laws:  he may neither write law (except by executive order) nor may he change laws, nor selectively enforce laws to his whim.  Yet the Kenyan has done  so - over 23 changes to ObamaCare since July 2013 alone - without so much as a raised eyebrow from congress.  In fact, Attorney General Holder this week encouraged various state attorneys general not to enforce those laws to which they feel morally opposed!  Screw the law, we'll  enforce only what we think is right!  Such is the attitude of this regime:  the law is simply what we say it is, and only when we say it is.  The castrati in congress wring their hands but do nothing, and the judicial branch fear reprisals should they dissent.  See Judge Roberts.  All the while the concept of a nation of laws and not men slowly erodes into history.