Matter of interpretation

There are many things the tea party is agin’, but what they want is harder to fathom. Apparently, one thing they want is the “Constitution,” which I thought we already had, sitting down in a Washington, D.C., air-conditioned vault.

Have these people read the Constitution? It talks about taxes and Congress, and executive and judicial power. And it talks about organizing, arming and disciplining the Militia. Is this the same “well regulated Militia” mentioned in the Second Amendment regarding “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms” that “shall not be infringed”? OK, so these militias are supposed to be organized according to the Constitution, but the tea party interprets these constitutional statements to mean anybody with a hankering can get hold of a gun and do whatever he wants with it.

This does not bolster my confidence in the tea party. They carry on about the Constitution, but don’t explore these vexing problems, of which there are many. Many times I can’t even figure out if they actually read the document. Oh, wait. It’s the way you interpret the Constitution. Kind of like the Bible? Well, we know where that leads – straight into blind, unquestioning self-righteousness.

Nancy Runyan

Spokane Valley