Constitution should be priority

I think many of our federal government representatives have their priorities out of order.

To this point, I received an email from House Speaker Paul Ryan stating that “The first responsibility of the federal government is to keep the American people safe.” I have heard this assertion recently from others as well. However, the oath of offices taken by Ryan and all federal elected officials and employees state that supporting and defending the Constitution is their foremost responsibility.

If they uphold their oaths, then supporting and defending our Constitution must be our representatives’ first priority. Not some current incumbent’s idea of what it takes to keep the American people safe. Otherwise, rights and freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution, including freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of movement, freedom of the press and even the right to vote, could be curtailed in the name of “safety.”

This story was originally published April 22, 2017 at 9:42 PM with the headline "Constitution should be priority."