Constitution encourages political debate, it does not take sides

Contributed
Published: November 20, 2008

To the editor,
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Mr. Marsh’s letter to the editor published Nov. 13. In his letter, Mr. Marsh stated that he is a new resident of Orange, moved here due to concerns over the societal imperfections he found in California, and argued that our founding fathers would be disturbed by the recent election results and the alleged over-reliance on the state.
My objective is not to argue with the tired partisan arguments presented. Instead, I would like to address the tone of the arguments and offer an alternative picture of what I think the founding fathers would say about the election and the direction of the country.
I am also new to Orange and have also been impressed by the character of its people. I too am proud of the Constitution that our founding fathers created. It still sends chills down my spine when I remind myself that my polling location is only a few miles from Madison’s home. I believe Madison would be thrilled with the election. Not because one side won or lost, but because the process works, because the country can undertake changes in direction peacefully and efficiently without tanks in the streets.  We are the envy of the world. This is why the Constitution is idealized around the world. We should take pride in our Constitution, we should honor our founding fathers, and we should realize how lucky we are to live in this country.
The Constitution that Mr. Marsh and I agree to revere encourages political debate, it does not take sides. It allows all citizens to be heard, regardless of political persuasion. We should continue to respect the views of all. Nonetheless, the same Constitution has numerous mechanisms designed to encourage the country to move away from extreme views and gravitate toward more moderate views when all is said and done. History tells us that extremism on the left or the right can be dangerous. 
I disagree with the tone of Mr. Marsh’s letter and the suggestion that the founding fathers would support his views.  The election is over. We have all had enough of the rhetoric for a while. It is time to come together and ask ourselves what we can all do to make this country an even better place for our kids. It is time to take the political signs down and to replace them with flags. This is something I feel confident Madison would favor. Surely we can all agree that we have major issues to address and it will require leadership, thoughtful, constructive debate, and cooperation to solve these problems. 
Besides, if all of the “good people” leave California and move to Orange, we truly will have some zoning headaches.   
Dalton Wilcox
Orange