Frank Watson: Our freedoms are protected by law

I have followed the controversy over the recent Supreme Court rulings and have decided the real issue isn’t that the current court has been “politicized,” but that the rulings are contrary to what the vocal critics want.

Our Founding Fathers were visionaries who dreamed of a nation ruled by law and created a constitution to guarantee that we would forever be free from the dictates of executives or the whim of judges. The roles of the executive and legislative branches are clearly defined. The legislative branch makes laws and appropriates money. The executive branch administers the laws of the land and commands our military forces. The sole function of the Supreme Court is to ensure government at all levels complies with the Constitution. When we deviate from that basic separation of power, the system begins to break down.

What should be and what is legal are frequently different questions. For example, whether or not women have a right to abortion on demand is different from whether or not abortion rights are protected by the Constitution. Quite frankly, Roe v. Wade was bad law. The 1973 court went beyond the Constitution to make its ruling. That was wrong. Abortion falls into that group of issues not covered by the Constitution or federal statutes. The current Court properly corrected that judicial error. If pro-choice advocates want abortion to be legal nation wide, they should look to Congress to enact a federal law instead of denouncing the Court.

Don’t blame the Court when Congress doesn’t do its job. The Constitution allows Congress to establish various agencies to help administer their widespread responsibilities, but it doesn’t give those agencies permission to make their own rules. The Court didn’t attack the EPA; they simply ruled that Congress and only Congress has the authority to make regulations tantamount to law. Congress and all bureaucratic agencies must comply. I don’t know if student loan forgiveness is a good idea or not, but I do know the president doesn’t have the authority to cancel their loans. Only Congress can do that.

I have been a hunter most of my life and own several hunting weapons. I neither own nor have any use for a hand gun and believe carrying a pistol into the grocery store is silly. But – our Constitution grants citizens the right to do so. I think that should be changed, but until we change the Second Amendment, we must follow it.

Affirmative Action was bad law. The 14th Amendment guarantees everyone equal rights and privileges regardless of one’s ancestors. The use of race as a criterion for admission to college, for job placement or advancement, for the granting of government contracts or for any reason is wrong. It denies equal rights to all those who are not of the specified race. The court ruling was right.

The current court rulings tend to return us to rule of law, and I applaud them. Our Constitution, which has lasted for over two centuries, was in danger of being circumvented. Our freedoms were won by the blood and bravery of American soldiers who swear to defend the Constitution of these United States against all enemies.

Frank Watson is a retired Air Force Colonel and longtime resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a freelance columnist for over 20 years.