Do you think the Federal court is trying to do too much? Does it step in to regulate unconstitutionality of local religious displays, or community school shows or programs, or whether a local election recount is allowed and is that its proper function?
Why did the first and last amendments in the bill of rights try to protect states rights? The first and 10th Amendments directly attempt to keep the Federal government out of state and local matters to protect something. Some probably wanted to protect market share and profits, but for others it may have run much deeper, to protect the freedom to create something special, almost invisible in public culture now.
Extra Federal powers over the states rights were needed to force states to protect the civil rights of former slaves. So the 14th amendment was necessary to ensure and establish uniform civil rights and other very fundamental issues. However, when Court priorities are used to override state freedoms to balance the individual right to privacy, the Supreme Court also reduces ability of townships to have a spiritual identity independent of the Courts priorities.
The first amendment specifically attempted to guarantee state religious freedom - but allowing state religious freedom fails recent Courts tests based on Courts priorities of individual rights. The Court may have also set in motion the loss individuals??? sense of being deeply rooted in particular community and with that weakened a sense of deep connection to our nation. This power of the Court certainly changed the country for the better in the civil rights struggles. But when you look at the massive fraud and destruction of national banking, credit institutions and businesses one might wish the fear of God would fall on people who knowingly created, signed for, recommended or sold worthless mountains of debt for a few coins for themselves.
Try ideals like, honor your father and mother, you shall not steal, you shall not testify falsely, you shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor, love your neighbor as yourself, love your God with all your strength, heart, mind and soul, in a survival of the fittest world. Why should anyone listen? The Supreme Court won???t allow discussion of the real answer to that question, why listen to God???s instruction, in state or locally funded programs and in so doing limit the chance to create something that may be truly special and is almost invisible to us now.
Secular people will see the Court has struck the proper balance and worry about religious fanatics. Some Christians believe Supreme Court is devaluing first amendment protection of state religious expression and worry about long-term affects we see as a result of this devaluation. Should Federal Court leave local issues to the state courts? Does what do you think depend on what you want the answer to be?
