A Letter to Golda Meir

August 7, 2019

Prime Minister Golda Meir

Dear Madam Prime Minister:

I usually write to the Founders, Signers and Framers so it is very rare that I write to such a distinguished foreign dignitary, so I hope you don’t mind. Although you were born in Kiev you immigrated to the United States attending grammar and high school here and you also attended what is now the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I would think this makes you pretty well versed in our customs and history maybe even more so than most of our citizens today. Revisionist history is nothing new, although it seems more prevalent than ever before and two recent attempts at changing history brought your quote to mind.

 “One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.”

 Madam Prime Minister the first incident, occurred in San Francisco a city from what I have recently heard and read about, I am sure Tony Bennett would be disappointed that he left his heart there. It seems there was a mural in a high school there that depicted President Washington with slaves along with the killing of Native Americans. It was decided that this mural was offensive and needed to be painted over. I am sure we all agree that slavery and the slaughter of Native Americans was not some of the finest moments in our history but by painting over this mural it erases the past. Neither event fits our present because we saw the error of our ways and grew and changed. Slavery has not been an issue in this country for over 150 years, so it doesn’t fit in the present. We should never erase it from our history so as not to repeat it. The estimates of $600,000 to paint over it or $800,000 to panel over it seem excessive to revise history something that happened and cannot be changed. Maybe the money being spent to cover over this piece of history could be put to better use in a city that by all reports is deteriorating.

The second incident Madam Prime Minister occurred a few weeks back when a big commotion was made over a sneaker, that’s right a sneaker. The company Nike decided that for the 4^th of July holiday they would make a sneaker with the Betsy Ross designed flag on it. The fuss began when a Nike spokesperson reported some felt that this flag was a symbol of slavery since at the time of the founding slavery was a part of our economic system. This was our first flag as we were no longer colonies but the United States of America and that is what it represents. This flag showed 13 stars in an unbroken circle symbolizing the unity and representing the 13 diverse entities that came together to create what would become the greatest experiment in democracy, freedom and liberty that the world has seen. It might have taken longer than most would have liked to right these wrongs but all along the way in our history we seem to have learned from our past and done so. Once again Madam Prime Minister you are correct in that this flag does not fit the present. The Betsy Ross Flag doesn’t fit today because the flag today is now made up of 50 stars which means to me that we are able to change and grow and correct our mistakes. It was also a different time over 240 years ago and the morals and ethics of a people change and again that affects the fit. This ability to adapt and change is what makes this country different than most. The ability to weather good and bad times and come out for the better.

So, Madam Prime Minister once again we can learn from those who came before us and we should make every effort to heed your words.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Andrew DeMarco

 

 

 

 

 

Tariffs and Free Trade

 

July 22, 2019

President James Monroe

Dear President Monroe:

Today, free trade and tariffs are a subject of much conversation and debate in Washington. Following the War of 1812, Congress passed the Tariff Act of 1816 levying duties designed to encourage domestic manufacturing while reducing reliance on British and other foreign manufactures while maturing domestic industry which rose considerably during the War and the Embargo era.

It was your take on tariffs from your State of the Union address in 1822 which addressed this protectionist issue and which still carries a lot of truth today and should be considered in any discussions involving both issues. This quote from that state of the Union Address pretty much sums up tariffs even after all these years later:

“From the best information I have been able to obtain it appears that our manufactures, though depressed immediately after the peace, have considerably increased, and are still increasing, under the encouragement given them by the tariff of 1816 and by subsequent laws. Satisfied I am, whatever may be the abstract doctrine in favor of unrestricted commerce, provided all nations would concur in it and it was not liable to be interrupted by war, which has never occurred and can not be expected, that there are other strong reasons applicable to our situation and relations with other countries which impose on us the obligation to cherish and sustain our manufactures.”

President Monroe, let me give you a little insight as to our situation today. Over the last 20 to 30 years the United States has slipped from being a manufacturing power which occurred when most companies sent the work overseas in pursuit of cheaper labor and costs. You, however, felt that protecting, sustaining and cherishing our “manufactures” was an obligation. President Monroe, you also spoke about unrestricted commerce which is better known today as free trade and you warned that it was an abstract concept and it can only occur if all nations agreed. Well you seem to have been proven right in that not all nations act fairly in regard to free trade. Even when treaties and agreements are in effect, nations find ways to circumvent them. Then there are trade agreements that run their course and become obsolete and need to be updated.

Finally, you also suggested that manufacturing needed to be protected since unrestricted commerce cannot be relied upon since it can be interrupted by war and could affect our national defense. President Monroe, a perfect example of this is that at one time the United States was a huge producer of steel and now we are the largest importer of steel in the world. What would happen today if a product essential to our national defense was controlled by a country that might hostile to us or the companies that were essential to their manufacturing were not in line with the United States?  But you already know all this and realized this almost 200 hundred years ago.

While Washington is in an uproar over the latest trade wars and tariffs, some people there might be wise in looking at your thoughts on this matter and give them some serious consideration. President Monroe, I guess you might say that sometimes Tariffs might be a necessary evil. Once again, the wisdom of you and the other founders comes shining through and we all might benefit from learning and heeding your advice.

Sincerely,

Andrew DeMarco

Humor in Government

 

 

June 24, 2019

Mr. Will Rogers

Dear Mr. Rogers:

While doing my daily cryptogram, I came across one of your quotes and that got me thinking about the numerous past letters I have written to the Founders, Signers, Framers and others. But before I go into details, allow me to give some background about you. It seems you were known as a stage and motion picture actor, vaudeville performer, humorist, newspaper columnist and social commentator from Oklahoma. Of these, you are best known for your humor and social commentary when you made your mark during the Roaring 20’s and the Great Depression. A staunch Democratic when it came to politics, did not stop you Mr. Rogers from shredding either party when you felt it was deserved.

For some time now, I have been writing to our Founding Fathers, Signers and Framers reporting how their great experiment is moving along and if we are following the path they set for this country and if not, maybe we can learn from their hopes and aspirations. What I have found interesting is that if our politicians today followed their advice we all might be better off. It gets frustrating when you realize this and our representatives don’t. So, I thought I would write to you since you too might be interested in seeing how your thoughts are still relevant today.  Here is the witticism I found in that cryptogram which hits home and, just like the Founders, you too are going largely unheeded which puts you in good company.

There is no credit to being a comedian, when you have the whole Government working for you. All you have to do is report the facts. I don’t even have to exaggerate.

 Or as you boiled it down to later on which made it perfectly clear.

I don’t make jokes – I just watch the government and report the facts.

I am sure that most citizens today would agree with that quote and that our government on all levels and on all sides has become one series of jokes after another where common sense has gone completely out the window. Issues such as immigration, health care, infrastructure, taxes and foreign trade are issues you would think that both parties would be able to find some common ground to work on, but unfortunately that is not the case. Some are more concerned about a pay raise for themselves. Pay raises for not doing their jobs!  I am sure most of the people they work for can painfully find the humor and irony in that.

Mr. Rogers, if you were around today you would be having a field day and I am sure that neither side would be safe from your barbs and daggers. As a matter of fact, with all the new mediums of today you would be even more popular and better known then you ever were. What is truly sad Mr. Rogers is that nearly 85 years after your death, the government is still a source of comedy and is providing even more fodder than it ever did in your day After realizing this, you might be even more frustrated than I am and I am sure that you can appreciate what the Founders, Signers and Framers must be thinking.  I just hope that some of these elected officials read your quote and realize that they have become an even bigger joke over the years.

After reading about you and doing further research, I found many more of your witticisms so you can expect to be hearing from me again. Thank you for your time Mr. Rogers.

 

Sincerely,

Andrew DeMarco

 

 

A Special Parade

May 27, 2019

 

Dear Founders, Signers, Framers and former Presidents:

Back in November I wrote to all of you regarding a Veteran’s Day Parade that I thought could be used as a teaching tool to our present inept crop of politicians occupying Washington D.C. Here we are 6 months later and nothing has changed. If anything, Government has become even more dysfunctional. With that in mind, I thought I would take one more crack at waking these people up so we will continue our parade.

Once again the marchers will be all 535 members of Congress, Members of the Supreme Court and the Executive Branch which would include cabinet members. This time, the spectators will be veterans and any citizen of the United States.

The parade will pick up where the last one ended at the Lincoln Memorial and move across the Memorial Bridge into one of the most important places in our country, Arlington National Cemetery, which is only fitting since it is Memorial Day. The parade will wind its way up the hill and through this solemn and magnificent field of stone. The first stop will be a section that not many people are aware of. This section, just before your gravesite President Kennedy is where a number of Supreme Court Justices are buried but one in particular stands out and that one is the grave of Justice Potter Stewart. All marchers will be required to read his stone and tell us what is missing which makes it special. Your humbleness and patriotism are so evident Justice Stewart, traits which I feel are sorely missing in many of our politicians today.

The march will continue to your grave-site President Kennedy where the marchers will recite the words which you made famous at your inauguration, “Ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country.” Here the marchers will take a few minutes and really think about your words President Kennedy and I am sure most will realize they can do a lot more for their country instead of for themselves and their party’s interests.

The parade will continue to the Amphitheater but before they enter they will stop at the grave which is just outside the Amphitheater to you, Audie Murphy one of the most decorated soldiers in our history, and think about your sacrifice and courage and hopefully some of that courage will rub off on them.

The marchers will then enter the amphitheater and probably the most solemn place in our country which is the Tomb of the Unknowns. Before they lay a wreath at The Tomb they will think about all those who served and gave their lives in anonymity. Maybe if our marching politicians did their jobs in anonymity and sacrificed their own personal gains, things would get done.

The final leg of the parade would be the march to Arlington House but before they arrive there they will stop and look north to Section 16 at the Confederate War Memorial. This memorial is surrounded by almost 500 graves of Confederate Soldiers. The same soldiers who fought for what they thought was a just cause and though it divided our nation they are united here in death. The one thing that many veterans who gave their lives have in common. We would then arrive at the former home of Robert E. Lee which probably provides one of the most beautiful views of that city named for you President Washington. A fitting place to end this parade and where all the marchers can contemplate on what they just saw and what they can do to improve in a way to honor all those who reside here at Arlington. They can also look down on your memorial President Lincoln and remember the words from your second Inaugural address:

 “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan–to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”

Perhaps your words President Lincoln can inspire our politicians to put aside all their pettiness and work with malice toward none for the benefit of all of us. I am sure Gentlemen that you would all agree we have borne the scars of their battles for much too long. Hopefully this Memorial Day Parade will open the eyes of all the politicians who are there to serve us.

Thank you for your time Gentlemen.

Happy Memorial Day!

 

Sincerely.

Andrew DeMarco

 

P.S. Let me know if you can tell me what makes Justice Stewart’s gravestone special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Becoming Entrenched

 

April, 16. 2019

Dear President Truman and Mr. Mason

Welcome to Pen Pals from the Past President Truman, I hope you will find it enlightening. Some might find it odd that I am writing to two gentleman that were born about 160 years apart, but I hope they will see how your thoughts are related.

I’ll begin with a quote by you Mr. Mason and your concerns about how elected officials will lose their way.

“Those gentlemen, who will be elected senators, will fix themselves in the federal town, and become citizens of that town more than of your state.”

George Mason, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 14, 1778

 Your greatest fear seems to be that once entrenched in their positions in our U.S. Capital, their concerns about those they represent at home would become an issue, in that they would care less about their needs. Today it has and many of our elected officials on both sides of the aisle seem to be totally out of touch with their constituents and are only concerned with their party and their own political survival. This is something that President Washington had warned us about. In addition, this “fixing” of themselves has led to stalemates and deadlocks which have not benefitted the people they represent.

Their concerns about party and not allowing one or the other to claim victory have led to not resolving important issues of today which can and should be solved. Issues such as immigration, health care and the economy are issues which regardless of party most of their constituents want resolved. It is as thought they don’t have the time to really listen to the people, because of their entrenchment in petty squabbles in Washington.

President Truman, my research has shown that this quote is also attributed to Coach John Wooden but since you were on the scene before he was, I think he probably got it from you so I will give you the credit.

“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
Harry S Truman

President Truman, if our politicians today had this attitude and stopped all the petty quarreling and worked together, they could get the previously mentioned issues done. The funny thing is they wouldn’t have to care who gets the credit because all sides would find a way to take the credit but they are too dense to realize this, which further proves that Mr. Mason was right. Maybe our politicians today should have this quote of yours President Truman on their desk as a constant reminder much like you had, “The Buck Stops Here!” on your desk. If they followed your advice, then we the people they represent no matter what side we are on would feel that finally they have our concerns at the top of their lists. If they were to listen to us more,) they would not be so fixed in that federal town. Gentlemen thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Andrew DeMarco

 

 

The Limits of Taxation

March 25, 2019

Dear Chief Justice Marshall:

It is a pleasure to write to you for the first time and I am sure that you will be hearing from me again. I hope you don’t mind. I recently came across your quote while reading your decision in the McCulloch v. Maryland case and although that decision dealt with the implied powers of the Federal Government, this one small quote still has relevance regarding taxation even today:

“An unlimited power to tax involves, necessarily, a power to destroy; because there is a limit beyond which no institution and no property can bear taxation.”

John Marshall, McCullough v. Maryland, 1819

 Justice Marshall, please allow me to give you a little background on what is going on today. We have a group of federal legislators who just love to spend our money. So much so that they have run up a deficit of over 21 trillion dollars, an issue which I discussed with President Jefferson in a previous letter. They all claim that we must get this deficit under control, but they do nothing to remedy the problem and it just continues to spiral upward and continues to grow.

We also have politicians who like to promise things for free, seeming to forget that money for these programs has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is “We the People” who will ultimately pay for it usually in the form of taxes. They seem to be promising everything under the sun from free healthcare for all estimated at $1.3 Trillion per year with free education for all just to name a few. Then there is the Green New Deal again estimated to cost $50 – $90 trillion over a 10-year period which will totally remake the way we live.  The funny thing Mr. Chief Justice is that when asked how all this will be paid for the first reaction is RAISE TAXES!

But as you so aptly point out that there comes a time when any institution, group class, corporation, property you name it can bear taxation. Sooner or later there is no more to get. Sort of like my grandmother would always say, “you can’t get blood from a stone.”

You were also correct in stating that that power to tax also leads to a power to destroy. A small example of this is right here in my home state of New York, the most taxed state in the nation.  This has led over the past few years to a decrease in the population of the state by over a million people. These people have moved to more “tax friendly” states while corporations have also moved from the state for the same reason further eroding the tax base. All this has begun to destroy a state whose nickname is “The Empire State.” Once probably the most envied and influential state in the union is now far from the Empire State and losing its clout to more tax friendly states like Florida and Texas. Proof that taxation has its limits and those who are taxed can only bear so much.

Maybe our politicians should start realizing that government does not need to get bigger but must shrink and start living within its means. They should read the preamble to the constitution, a document which you Mr. Chief Justice help shape and always defended and which pretty much tells them what their responsibilities are and there is no need to take on additional ones.

Maybe then they will stop their carefree spending ways and concentrate on why we sent them to Washington in the first place which was to do the bidding of “We the People.” Once again, you and the other Founders have proven that you are far more knowledgeable than any of us could have imagined.

Sincerely,

Andrew DeMarco

 

 

The National Debt

February 26, 2019

Dear President Jefferson,

During the last election cycle, polls showed that the American people had many concerns. The gamut ran from Health Care, Gun Control, Climate Change, Immigration, Distribution of Wealth and the Economy. One aspect of the economy which is usually glossed over by today’s politicians is $22 Trillion Dollars. That’s right you heard me correctly President Jefferson, $22 Trillion Dollars. You probably never heard a number like that and to tell you the truth I have no idea how many zeros that is. You might be asking, “What is $22 trillion dollars?” well Mr. President that is our national debt, a topic which you wrote quite extensively about and one I feel should be the most important issue facing us today, since it will definitely effect our future in the long run like no other issue.

There were two thoughts you had on this topic which struck a chord with me. One which our politicians today seem to worry little about but in my opinion is one of the most important ones that they should be addressing. The second thought which I will mention later was your idea for remedying this problem.

First you once said:

“I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.”

Today’s politicians instead of living within their means with our money, like most of the citizenry does, just continue to borrow to make ends meet. Part of the problem is that annual budgets are no longer submitted, and they keep funding the government with Continuing Resolutions.  When a budget is submitted, they are usually rendered useless because the federal government can no longer live within their parameters and there are overruns which lead to government borrowing. These politicians show little concern about this borrowing because money is made readily available to them with no immediate consequences. If debt ceilings are met, they simply raise the ceiling and the levels of money they can borrow.  They have what has become known as a” kick the can down the road” attitude burdening future generations with their mistakes and outrageous spending. It seems that none are really concerned with this borrowing as they just keep doing so while offering up more benefits which we really cannot afford.

Your second thought on this matter was just after the Revolutionary War. The United States had a lot of debt and Article I, Section 8, Clause 2 of the Constitution grants to the United States Congress the power to borrow money on the credit of the United States.

President Jefferson, you realized that it was necessary at that time but you also had a remedy to avoid future problems and that was for amending this part of the Constitution. Allow me to remind you of your quote:

“I wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our Constitution, I would be willing to depend on that alone for the reduction of the administration of our government: I mean an additional article taking from the Federal Government the power of borrowing.”

You were willing to remove the previously mentioned Article 1, Section 8 Clause 2 from the Constitution. One would have to ask are we now well beyond the point where this would be possible, and if not, should it be something that should be considered? Imagine having to force the Federal Government to live within a budget which would help eliminate government waste, bureaucratic bloat and probably the creeping of government interference into our lives.

Once again, your wisdom and foresight should be heeded in helping our present-day politicians to resolve today’s issues.

I will be writing to you again in the future regarding this topic. Thank you for your time.

 

Sincerely,

Andrew DeMarco

 

 

 

February 11, 2019

Dear President Washington:

This past November I wrote to you, President Jefferson, and Mr. Franklin about immigration. You had stated that we would welcome those who “by decency and propriety of conduct appear to merit the enjoyment,” which I assume you meant the enjoyment of being allowed here.  At that time, I told you all that I would be back in touch regarding this topic and then I found another quote by you which in light of some new issues is even more relevant, so here I am again writing to you about this hot topic.  You stated on November 15, 1794 that:

[[T]he policy or advantage of [immigration] taking place in a body (I mean the settling of them in a body) may be much questioned; for, by so doing, they retain the Language, habits and principles (good or bad) which they bring with them. Whereas by an intermixture with our people, they, or their descendants, get assimilated to our customs, measures and laws: in a word, soon become one people.

In this quote, the one thing that stands out to me is that you were hoping for an intermixing with those who are here as either new immigrants or their descendants and to become assimilated to our ways. The key word is being assimilated, so we can become one people or as our motto says, “E pluribus Unum.” Well President Washington let me give you some idea what is going on today.

Today’s politicians use the would diversity which I would equate to the pluribus. We have an abundance of diversity of population which I don’t think even you could have imagined. This diversity can be seen everywhere. For example, while in New York City I saw an ATM (I will fill you in later on what an ATM is but be assured that Misters Franklin and Hamilton would find it fascinating.) with sixteen different language options which again is a lot of pluribus but it doesn’t lead to Unum. How can one assimilate if we make it easy for others not to?

Another recent incident involved a renowned television journalist Tom Brokaw. Mr. Brokaw made a remark that Hispanics need to assimilate better and make a better effort to learn the English language. He implied that it would only benefit them and in a sense, he was espousing your sentiments Mr. President. It appears we need that reason or impetus that binds us which makes us that melting pot and gives us the Unum in E pluribus Unum. Maybe language can be that tool which binds us because I know my father and grandparents when they came from Italy struggled to adapt but became part of that melting pot and they overcame obstacles and assimilated. They never abandoned their traditions and no one should ever forget from where they came from as you Mr. President imply, but just as my grandparents and parents did they should  all strive to become one, the all-important Unum. To this day, my family carries on the traditions which they brought from Italy but my generation are Americans all the way. The great variety of ethnic restaurants we have proves that one does not have to lose their ways and traditions and provide others with a culinary experience of other cultures.

President Washington, there is one other troubling aspect of the incident with Mr. Brokaw that I would like to write to you in more detail at a later time and that is what ever became of First Amendment Rights? Mr. Brokaw never expressed any hatred and was forced to apologize for his comments. He could not make his opinion known without taking heat from others. If opinions are subjected to this kind of criticism or rather censorship, how can a discussion on how to remedy problems begin?  We have become an apologetic society where we are forced to apologize for what someone else might deem the slightest insult or words of hate.  This limits the free exchange of ideas because people are leery of being taken down by their comments, which needs to be part of the discussion.

Once again, if people only knew what you and the other Founding Founders were thinking they would have a better idea on how to remedy our problems. After all, it was you along with the other fine gentlemen who started this crazy experiment called the United States and you all had the idea and vision on where we should be heading. Again, there is so much more to learn from you and the others.

Sincerely,

Andrew DeMarco

P.S. I am sure you join me President Washington in wishing President Lincoln a Happy Birthday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Character of a Nation

 

January 22, 2109

President Calvin Coolidge

Dear President Coolidge:

Normally I write to our Founders, Signers and Framers but while I was doing a cryptogram I came across a quote attributed to you, so I decided to change it up a bit and write to you. Below is that quote:

“It is not the enactment, but the observance of laws, that creates the character of a nation.”

Before I begin, there are a few things that I do know about you. You became president upon the death of President Harding and served from 1923 -1929 which was also the era know as Prohibition. You were also known as “Silent Cal” which is odd since your real name was John Calvin Coolidge Jr.

What I do find most interesting is that during your term as President, Prohibition was the law of the land and it was flagrantly ignored. This led to lawlessness and disregard for the law which created a lot of characters but I am sure not the kind that speak to the positive character of the nation. However, wisdom prevailed and Prohibition was repealed. At times, the enactment of laws should be questioned and the lawful process followed to amend or correct the law accordingly. Following the process is part of the observance of the laws and helps show the true character of the nation.

President Coolidge, let me tell you that your words are still meaningful for us today. One of the big issues today is immigration and your words are very pertinent now. It should be noted that it was you who signed the Immigration Act of 1924 which set quotas on the number of immigrants allowed into our country from certain countries and provided funding for enforcement to carry out the enforcement ban on other non-white immigrants. The Act further restricted other groups such as Italians, Jews, Greek and Slavs as well as Asians.

When this law was no longer pertinent, it was changed in 1952 when the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 went into effect which essentially codified the laws of immigration and citizenship which were not well organized into one body of text.

Finally, we had the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 which was signed by President Lyndon Johnson at the Statue of Liberty and effectively abolished all quotas regarding immigration which forever helped change the demographics of our country.

Today, laws seem to be ignored in all areas and one example is the continuing problems we are having with immigration. Currently, our politicians have a problem understanding the word illegal which is frightening especially since they are our law makers. They have created “Sanctuary Cities and States” which basically go against and ignore our present laws and help allow for the lawlessness, which is not as bad as during Prohibition but lawlessness non-the less. If the laws are not working, our elected officials should do their job which is to “Provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare,” and in doing so help to restore the character of our nation.

I think what you originally intended is that each citizen must abide by the laws which their elected officials have established, improving the character of our nation. I also think that you never expected that it would be our elected officials who would choose to ignore laws enacted by other officials which supersede their ill- advised intentions. I believe that is what you were referring to when you made that comment years ago.

Once our officials really get to work and establish immigration reform with laws that really work then and only then can we judge if the observance of the new law truly shows the character of our nation. Right now, what is showing is a lack of character by all.

Thank you for your time President Coolidge.

Yours truly,

Andrew DeMarco

 

 

 

P.C. Holidays

 

December 18, 2018

Founders, Signers and Framers:

Dear Gentlemen:

The holiday season is upon us and thanks to your efforts we are all free to celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, Diwali or any other holiday we want in the manner of our own choosing. You had the foresight to seek limited government so as to not interfere with our religious beliefs and for us to have the liberty to express our ideas without pressure to limit our beliefs. This is apparent in your writings and quotes, some of which are listed below:

“Nothing is more dreaded than the national government meddling with religion.” —John Adams, in a letter to Benjamin Rush. 1812

“The Religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man: and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate.” —James Madison, 1785.

I am far from a religious man and government in my opinion has done a credible job in keeping away from this issue. Gentlemen, you know from my past writings I have tried to remain impartial to allow you and our readers to formulate their own opinions, but this is an issue which I can no longer maintain my impartiality. My problem is not with government but what happens when individuals and organized groups start infringing on my liberties and try to ruin the holidays.  This is where your thoughts President Madison are very relevant:

“It will not be denied that power is of an encroaching nature and that it ought to be effectually restrained from passing the limits assigned to it.” 

–James Madison, Federalist 48, 1788

This year there seems to be an even bigger assault and more encroaching on Christmas traditions many of which have been called into question. I thought these few examples although not really religious it will give you an idea on how Political Correctness cannot only ruin a holiday but has become a problem in politics and society.

I am sure you Gentlemen are familiar with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, a Christmas tale which first appeared in a 1939 booklet written by Robert L. May. Well there is a group which wants to ban Rudolph because he was bullied, which he was. However, what these bright lights fail to realize is that in the tale Rudolph overcame this and ends up being a hero helping to save Christmas. So instead of turning it into a positive lesson they are making a major issue of it.

Next there is a song called “Baby it’s Cold Outside” which is considered a Christmas song although there is no mention of the Christmas in its’ lyrics. Groups are protesting this song as sexual harassment and have managed to have it removed from some stations’ air waves, thus infringing on the liberty of those who want to listen to the song, instead of the people offended by this song just changing the station.

Finally, and this is the best one, Jennifer Sinclair an elementary school principal near Omaha in her war on Christmas banned Candy Canes. Her reasoning was “Historically, the shape is a ‘J’ for Jesus.” Well here is my reasoning, if it is a “J” then it can’t be a candy cane, maybe a candy hook but I have never seen a “J” shaped cane. A friend of mine George Morris had a better idea for Ms. Sinclair. He suggested she be given a peppermint stick and be told that it is an “I” and that “I” stands for idiot.

Gentlemen, please forgive me for my rantings and ravings, because this time of year should be joyous, happy and free of petty nonsense. I wanted you all to be aware of where we are heading with this experiment which you created. To you our Founders, Signers and Framers whose wisdom far exceeds many of us, and enables me to say to all of you:

“MERRY CHRISTMAS, and most importantly a HAPPY and HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL!”

Sincerely,

Andrew DeMarco

 

P.S. Gentlemen, about 5 years ago I wrote about P.C. Holidays for another blog and the link is below.

 

https://bobsrosyglow.com/?s=P.C.