This is Viewpoints for Thursday, August 24, 2017

Appreciating the Constitution

I appreciate Geoffrey Engels’ response to my letter (Understanding the Constitution, 8/15). His response was measured, carefully crafted, and well-reasoned. However, I would like to respond to a number of points.

First, Engels says that “Under (my) reasoning legal services could be considered a ‘right.’” Well, yes. As a matter of fact, I do think legal services are a right. And I assume the Founders did as well, since they went through the trouble of guaranteeing the right, among other things, to “the assistance of counsel for his defense [sic]” in the Sixth Amendment.

Second, I’d quibble with Engels’ implication that health care wouldn’t fall under “General Welfare.” Wouldn’t our country be better off if its citizens were healthier? Wouldn’t it cost far less, in the medium and long term?

Finally, while I respect Engels’ perspective, I’m not sure he understood the point I was attempting to make, and I apologize for not being clearer. I believe the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, is an attempt to codify and to clarify our rights, which are given to us by God, not by the state — a view shared by the signers of the Declaration of Independence. If that’s the case, then it follows that we have rights beyond those enumerated in the Constitution. To say “Health care isn’t a right because it isn’t in the Constitution” implies that we only have rights because of the Constitution, and that’s a step I’m not prepared to take.

What’s a nationalist?

A nationalist is defined as a person who has loyalty and devotion to the welfare and interest of his country over all others. That makes me a nationalist. And I’m white.

Nationalists are not racists, as the media would have you believe. Media seem to have lost its ability to understand the English language. I know white nationalists, black nationalists, Asian nationalists, Hispanic nationalists, none of whom are racists. The few hundred people in Virginia were not nationalists — they were racists and fighting what seems to be an equal number of anarchists. The Virginia police were negligent in condoning this entire confrontation.

Nationalists believe in God, duty, honor, loyalty and family. That makes us who we are. Nationalists believe legal immigration is fine, but illegal immigrants should be deported and stand in line to return legally.

Nationalists believe that all individuals in this country have a right to work, be paid, and enjoy life without anyone interfering with their ability to do so. Nationalists believe welfare should be a temporary device to help someone who has fallen on hard times, not a profession to be pursued from birth to death.

Nationalists believe in a strong military, primarily to protect our borders and uphold our treaties with our allies. We think we should stay out of civil wars. Nationalists value their history and value the patriots who have gone before us, and find it indecent that tributes to history should be destroyed in the interest of gutter politics.

Nationalists believe that any law other than Constitutional law should be banned in any part of our nation. We proved that by rejecting and defeating communism and the Nazi agendas of the past. Nationalists totally reject Sharia law, and anyone in the nation who seeks to follow it.

Nationalists believe in a decisive government, following the Constitution to the letter, not interpreting it as one sees fit to do so. Nationalists are not racists. Not now, not ever.

Nationalists do, however, have a tipping point. With the hate and contempt being heaped upon us by the left, you may find there is a point beyond which we will not go, nor will we allow the country to go. Be reasonable, be rational, be loyal to the United States of America, or you will awaken the people who built this country — nationalists.

NFL team boycott

For those who think football players that refuse to stand and choose to kneel or sit during the National Anthem, nobody but like minded privileged wimps agrees with you. I along with many veterans who served this country voluntarily or otherwise will not, in any way, support any team that has a member that protests in this manner.

White backlash

Racism (white supremacy) is the belief that a particular race is superior to the others. About seven generations, or 152 years, after the end of the Civil War, we still have not adequately resolved America’s race problem.

White nationalists (white supremacists) helped elect Donald Trump president. Trump is beholden to them and has a hard time coming down hard on their aggressive racism. The election of Trump was primarily a backlash vote against the gains African Americans have made over the years, most notably the election (2008) of a black president, Barack Obama.

After Charlottesville, I think I now know what Donald Trump meant by “Make America Great Again” — a time when white people ran the country and blacks knew their place and stayed in it. For the sake of our future, faith leaders of every religion and politicians of every political party, must passionately denounce white supremacy.

Deserve our trust

I agree with Janis Haley’s letter supporting adequate taxation to fund our city. Macon can be a really great place to live for all of its citizens and I believe most of us want to see that happen. Taxpayers have a role to play in making that happen.

The Macon-Bibb County commissioners have shown restraint and used our tax dollars wisely so deserve our trust to continue to do so. No one loves to pay taxes, but we get what we pay for.

Copy cats

I am astounded at the things some people bring up after they see some incident or media event where a group is protesting something. They jump on the bandwagon. I’m referring to the statues that are being considered for removal locally.

How long have the protestors been in this area and suddenly somebody in another area has their statue removed and our locals decide they want ours removed.

To me it’s copy-cat protesting. Leave the statues alone.

This story was originally published August 23, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Thursday, August 24, 2017."