Representatives of the newly sworn 112th Congress took turns reading the US Constitution from cover-to-cover, (or top to bottom…is it still on a scroll of parchment?), last Thursday. The intent, I guess, (the real reason is about as clear as the Republican agenda), was to assure the people, (as in “We, the…”), that our legislators have, indeed, read the document and are hell-bent on upholding it to the letter of its quill-scratched law. The fact that it is freely and amorphously interpreted, based on the changing political wind blowing up the robes of a highly partisan Supreme Court was not mentioned before, during or after the recitation. Oh, and the audience, (aside from the nineteen people who watch CSPAN), was a near-empty House chamber. Although members were anxious for the face time while reading their respective quotes, few, very few, could be bothered to remain in their seats during the frivolous, albeit historical, event.

What was missing from this sideshow was much of the original language that prompted 27 amendments to correct such things as freedom of the press and civil and women’s rights. Instead, the present-day version of this well-meaning, but still flawed document was up-chucked like a mindless church reading, except for the goosebumps created when John Lewis read the 13th amendment. (What do you think it means that this highly emotional moment did not bring Boehner to tears?)

The new, Republican controlled House keeps chanting their mantra of listening to the people, (there’s that word again), at least the loud, misguided Tea Partying people. Is there an implication here that long-term Congressmen like the new crybaby Speaker, haven’t been listening up to now? I know they haven’t been listening to me, and with the announcement of their intention to focus first and foremost on repealing health and environmental legislation, further cutting funding for education, ignoring the development of cleaner energy, high-speed rail and almost everything else that might insure our place in a highly competitive technological future, maybe they’re listening to one of those cartoon devils* that sit on your shoulder and talk you into doing bad shit.

We, the people are left to rely on the contentiously loud grinding of the poorly lubricated machine of government to…form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity… Conspicuously missing from the hallowed Constitution is any language, specific or implied, regarding abandoning any of the above because they cost too much. If the evangelical Republican agenda of giving all power, capital and control to the Halliburton-esque, free-trading oligarchy is enacted, our posterity will be a wheezing, homeless, uneducated population whose preamble begins, (although most would be unable to read it), They, those people…

*Note to Congress: Cartoon devils are not people, ‘we the’ or otherwise

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Note to Auburn University: Please keep Alan Gribben, professor of English, (lol), from any contact with your students. His cockamamie rewording of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer should be ample proof of his incompetence to teach English or any other subject. (By the way, you’re in Georgia where Braves fans still do that tomahawk thing…right?)