MARIE WUJEK MORE COLUMNS Advertisement

Do you remember the U.S. Constitution?

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union..." which includes the Bill of Rights -- 10 original amendments as set forth and adopted by our Founding Fathers.

Don't know about you but I had to pass a U.S. government class to graduate from high school. In this class we learned about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, amendments to the Bill of Rights, the judicial process, how bills become law, basically how the government works or was intended to work.

If you are not familiar with the U.S. Constitution, stop one day and talk with Ray, also known as "The Flagman" of Pahrump.

He spends the majority of his day standing on the side of the road, waving copies of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. A few folks in town refer to Ray as a radical extremist, most believe he is motivated by his passion to protect our rights and freedoms as Americans, which is how this columnist views Ray's continual devotion to this cause.

The First Amendment states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech; or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

In short freedom of speech, press, religion and the right to assemble and petition.

Since the founding of this great nation more amendments have been added. As this country grew it became necessary to add to the original 10 amendments, to limit government as well as protect our freedoms. It seems as though our "freedoms" are continually being tampered with, limited, and subject to interpretation by people who should be questioning their own motives and integrity, not ours -- in other words "the powers that be," our government.

When the Democrats announced their candidates, I heavily favored Sen. Joe Biden from Delaware. I thought he had the vision to lead us out of Iraq and into a promising future. I always appreciated the fact that he put blame where blame was due regardless of the consequence.

With our future at stake, it is imperative this election be based on issues and problems plaguing this country, how to turn our economy around and put an end to the Iraqi conflict. We have two presumptive candidates, one Republican, one Democrat.

Don't be biased against a candidate because of age, race, gender or religious beliefs.

This is where the first part of this article comes into play. Seems Sen. Obama's closet doesn't have many skeletons in it. The majority of attacks on the Democratic nominee have revolved around his church, claims that he is of Muslim faith, his lack of experience and his acknowledgment through discussion of our adversaries and trying to resolve our problems instead of rushing into war.

The word denounce is a powerful word. Don't denounce the Rev.'s Wright or Pfleger for their sermons, beliefs and statements -- just disagree.

Are we such a shallow-minded society that we hold members of a church accountable for sermons delivered and discussions held?

Sen. Obama, if you find yourself relocating to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in January, then search for another church. Don't let political pressure force you into leaving a church where you have worshipped for 20 years, the church you were married in, where your children were baptized.

As far as the senator's faith, I believe he is a humble Christian man who believes in family, country and the American dream. If his race bothers you, he is just as much white as he is African-American; the important thing is the "American" part.

No one has the experience to be president until they are president. I think the senator has demonstrated the intelligence and integrity to select individuals for vice president and members of his administration who will have the experience and dedication to turn this country around.

Teddy Roosevelt said we should "speak softly and carry a big stick." We try to teach our children to work through their differences with others through communication instead of fighting. Maybe it is time for our government to lead by example.

Sen. McCain, from Arizona, is quickly becoming a victim of age discrimination. His fairly new backing from the current administration is being questioned at length. To let his age play into his bid for the presidency is ludicrous. He is a proven patriot, a war hero and has served this country for more than 30 years. I used to think he had proven himself a leader; now I am not sure what his agenda is.

If I could talk with McCain, I would say, "I hate to break it to you Senator, but American's disapproval of the Bush administration is at a record high. I don't understand why up until you decided to run for president you voted against the President 34 percent of the time, and now you are voting with the President 95 percent of the time. The people want change.

"You seem to have surrendered to big money and appear ready, willing and able to adopt and continue the failed policies and practices of the Bush administration. I think you should give some serious thought as to how you plan to lead this country.

"Senator, please look back to 1999 when you worked so diligently to gain the Republican nomination for president, which at the time I felt was stolen from you. Back when you were a proud conservative Republican -- when you were against pork barrel spending and earmarks; when you were against tax increases on the American people; when you honored our veterans and military; when you questioned illegal immigration and demanded accountability.

"What happened? Where is the Sen. McCain I listened to and agreed with more times than not in 1999?

"I realize that September 11, 2001, this nation was attacked by terrorists. We had to step up to the plate and reevaluate how this country became so vulnerable. I also realize you were force-fed the same false information on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and voted to go to war, to rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein and keep that country from becoming a safe haven for terrorist and extremists. This is a very unpopular war; give us an exit strategy, not a "we could be there for 100 years" strategy.

"Staying the course is not working, we need to bring our military home.

"You voted against the tax reduction implemented by the Bush administration to the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans, now you are voting to continue it. This was sold to the American people as a way to get the wealthy to invest in America.

"Wealthy people didn't get wealthy by making stupid choices. Please show me where this tax reduction helped build America. We have record numbers of job loss, home foreclosures and bankruptcy filings are at an all time high. People are losing their pensions and retirements. We are concerned about the continual cuts in veteran and military programs, the rising cost of fuel, food and the basic necessities of life and a health care system that is a disgrace. The list is long and distinguished."

In closing, look at the facts; compare policy to policy, issue to issue, apples to apples as far as what the Republican and Democratic nominee plan to do when they occupy the Oval Office.

Listen not only to the problems but pay particular attention to the suggested solutions. Vote for the candidate you feel will accomplish what he promised you -- the American voter -- to gain your vote, the candidate that has the right stuff to get the job done.