It is dismaying to see ignorance blatantly displayed at public meetings, especially when our elected officials are complicit in nurturing that ignorance. The best example to date that I have seen of this is the recent spate of "Bill of Rights" day resolutions presented to local governing bodies that twist those cornerstones of American society in an attempt to support and protect those who are breaking the law.
The Orange County Commissioners recently voted for a resolution supposedly honoring the Bill of Rights that included language that voiced a protection to illegal aliens that no legal immigrant or citizen is afforded, i.e., admonishing the law enforcement authorities to ignore that the law is being broken. Durham city and county governing councils rightly sidestepped similar language in resolutions presented them.
The first 10 amendments specify acts or activities prohibited to government in order to protect the freedoms of its citizens. Extending those protections to non-citizens carries the expectation that they will respect the laws of this country.
Nowhere in the Bill of Rights does it suggest any specific group or individual may break the law with impunity. So, the inclusion of an expectation of exceptional treatment for any group in a resolution recognizing that part of the Constitution is a statement that the laws of this country and state, and city or county ordinances do not apply equally to all persons. That, by the way, would include the Bill of Rights.
ROBERT L. PORRECA
Hillsborough
Republican fears
What the Republicans fear most from the Obama administration is he may be right, and succeed in getting this country back on its feet. That's a very difficult task after eight years of incompetent Republican rule.
One can hear the fear when you hear GOP-right spokesman Rush Limbaugh spit out "I hope he fails". Words spoken by a true right-winger, but we should all remember that if Obama fails America fails.
Another true right-winger, Glenn "the-motor-mouth" Beck, equates Obama to Hitler. That is heavy even for the most vile republican. Dare to compare our President to one of mankind's all-time mass murderers, and the Republican party stands mute while Limbaugh and Beck hijack the Republican party.
I equate their silence to the peaceful Muslims that are mute while terrorists hijack their religion and murder innocent people.
J. ALBRIGHT
Hillsborough
