I am part of the way through Elie Mystal’s book, Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution.
Let me start by saying that I love Elie Mystal. When he appears as a guest analyst on cable news, I am always delighted. He is funny as hell and sharp as a tack. He says the things that need to be said, no matter how uncomfortable or taboo.
In a weird way, after he skewers yet another sacred cow, I always feel better. Knowing there is someone with the anatomical equipment to express what most of us who think weird thoughts are afraid to say makes me breathe a bit more easily. At least if I am crazy, I am not alone.
Anyway - back to the book.
Mystal’s central premise is that the Constitution is the creation of wealthy, white, landowning male thinkers exclusively. Women and people of color were never intended to be part of the government. Even when changes in society forced women and people of color to be acknowledged at all, the relevant Constitutional Amendments were written largely by white men.
Like so much of what we were taught to believe was groundbreaking and noble, the Constitution was designed to preserve white male supremacy.
But even Mystal agrees that there are good things in the Constitution - even though they have never been applied equally.
The First Amendment, for example, has the potential to be groundbreaking and noble.
I was reminded of that potential today when a very brave Russian broadcaster stepped behind the anchorwoman during the most-watched news program on state-controlled Channel 1 with a sign. It read "no war, stop the war, don't believe the propaganda, they are lying to you here.”
The protestor is believed to be Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor at Channel 1. She is believed to be in custody. As of this writing, her lawyer can’t find her.
Someone who did the same thing in the US would certainly suffer consequences. She’d likely be fired - or at least sent to anger management class. But absent physical damage to the station, or an attack on the anchorwoman, she would not be jailed.
I am not so naive as to think my country is perfect. As Winston Churchill once said that: “democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried.” But I do believe it can be perfected.
Elie Mystal’s book offers guidance as to how.
P.S. Follow him on Twitter at @elienyc. You’ll thank me.
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