Friday, January 7, 2011

I'm a fan of the Constitution.

And Huckleberry Finn.
One was designed to be amended with the passage of time, the other meant to be a portrait of a very specific time. Some things are meant to change, and others to remain the same.

The past did happen, and replacing a few words in a novel won't change it. What will change is the remarkable ability of this novel to bring the past to life for the reader.

The Constitution does not exist to be rolled up and used as a weapon. It is not a flag to wave over the heads of the ascendant political party.

When you alter Huck Finn you engage in censorship.
Huck Finn belongs to Mark Twain.

When you read aloud the Constitution as if the "other side" has forsaken its meaning, you are taking a step towards a civil war.
The Constitution belongs to everyone.

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