StarTribune.com
eday051208

Home | Opinion Exchange | Letters

Letter of the day: McCain needs a remedial civics class

Last update: May 11, 2008 - 5:02 PM

John McCain said in a speech last week that, as president, he would appoint federal judges who favored overturning Roe vs. Wade. He also said he thinks that federal judges should be responsive to the will of the people.

Send that man back to Constitution school! It's hard to believe he's served so long and still hasn't learned the basic division of responsibilities among the three branches of the U.S. government.

The judiciary is the one branch of our government that is responsible to the Constitution, the law and to justice. It is the only branch that protects the minority from the potential tyranny of the majority.

If, perchance, judicial justice matches the will of the people, it's a nice coincidence. But judges should never base their decisions on what the people say they want. And the selection of judges should be based on their ability to know the law and to administer justice fairly. Their selection should not be based on any pre-judging of cases that might come before them.

Shame on McCain!

RAYMOND VOSS, EDINA

Recent Letters stories

Readers write for Monday, Sept. 21: Obama halts missile shield - May 11, 2008
Readers write for Monday, Sept. 21: Obama halts missile shield - There's anger in Europe as President Obama scraps the missile shield. One response from a beleaguered American taxpayer: "Why don't you build your own?" More

Comment on this story   |   Be the first to comment   |  Hide reader comments

Subscribe
Streamlining Minnesota

New ideas for the public sector

THERE'S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME to create a more efficient Minnesota. Facing large budget deficits at the state, county and local levels, Minnesotans are seeing with new clarity that the public sector must adapt to new economic realities. Only the smartest, most strategic reinvention will ensure that our tax dollars are spent on the best programs and services. Read more

About Opinion Exchange

Opinion Exchange is produced by the Editorial Department, which is dedicated to hosting the discussion on a range of issues of interest to Star Tribune readers online and in print. In its new format, it's our hope that Opinion Exhange will create a more dynamic dialogue between Star Tribune readers and the Editorial Board. Many individual posts will be written and signed by members of the Editorial Board and will reflect their own opinions. Daily editorials will continue to represent the institutional voice of the newspaper and be researched and written by the Editorial Department, which is independent of the newsroom.

Subscribe to RSS|Learn more about RSS

Follow Opinion Exchange on Twitter Do you use Twitter? Follow Opinion Exchange.

Shopping + Classifieds
Personal Recruiter

No resume? No problem!

Create a skills profile in minutes, let a recruiter match you to an open position. Click here to get started.
Find A Job

Open positions!

A new career awaits. Look through thousands of listings to find your new job. Start now!

Win tickets to see Dirty Projectors at Cedar Cultural Center.

Vita.mn presents Dirty Projectors at Cedar Cultural Center on Nov. 11.

See all contests