In the midst of a pivotal election year, I want to focus on how we can insure our constitution is intact for generations to come. The constitution is a exceptional document meant to protect the American people. It was written to keep the government from overstepping and infringing on the rights of the individual. I’m an attorney, I’ve studied our laws extensively and believe in the rule of law. Our nation’s laws were not written for judges to twist in favor of whatever argument they’re trying to make. Our judicial branch needs to get back to interpreting the law based solely on the plain meaning of the text.
Our country recently lost a historic figure; Judge Scalia is someone I have always greatly admired. He had an excellent philosophy on interpreting the constitution. He did not think he was above the law. He certainly didn’t interpret the law as it pertained to his personal opinions. The Judge was a man of integrity. He is quoted in saying, “The Constitution that I interpret and apply is not living but dead, or as I prefer to call it, enduring. It means today not what current society, much less the court, thinks it ought to mean, but what it meant when it was adopted". He interpreted the laws as they were written, and it is for that reason that I hold great reverence for the Judge.
One of my principal concerns should Hillary Clinton be elected is her deciding our nation’s next Supreme Court judges. I fear Clinton’s appointees will be both politically motivated and corrupt. I am strongly in favor of neutral judges. Our country doesn’t need its judiciaries voting down party lines. We need our judges acting strictly as the constitution intended. Simply speaking, we will not prosper under a partisan juridical system. We need to return to the basics. The constitution needs to, once again, be seen as this nation’s rule of law. Our country has been most prosperous in the moments we have followed the rule of law under its original intent. We must stand up against the rule of the mob and remember once more that the law is the highest authority in America.
As someone who has studied law and politics to great lengths, the issue of the constitution is one of great personal significance. I believe we must defend our constitution at all cost so I encourage you to vote this year and make your voice know. Do not support candidates like Hillary Clinton who have no respect for the rule of law.
Mr. Reid is general practice attorney in Birmingham, Alabama. He has worked for republican leadership in the house in D.C. and was a health policy advisor to the governor of Alabama. You can contact him by email at chris.reid@reidlawalabama.com or by phone at 205-913-7406. For a full description of the Reid Law Firm's practice areas, please visit reidlawalabama.com. Our firm practices the following areas of law: wills, trust, and estates, divorce and family, DUI and drug offenses (only first and second time offenses), and car accident cases. We also handle business law, including formation of business entities and drafting contracts. Additionally, I co-host Yellowhammer News every Monday during lunch from 11-12 on 101.1 fm Birmingham (but our show is broadcast throughout most of the state).