So, while I’m all bent out of shape because people tell me I think everybody is rational while they’re telling me irrational stuff and shouting down any attempt to respond, cooler heads are bent out of shape because Franklin’s new mayor got sworn in on the US Constitution instead of a Bible. Personally, I don’t care if he put his hand on a Smartphone or a Venus flytrap. I’ve been going to city/county meetings for what seems like twenty years now, and they all begin with the Pledge of Allegiance – to the Republic. The last time I looked, the Republic was a Constitutional Republic, and the Constitution does not enumerate any federal powers for giving local governments all the great moneys that get accepted via consent agenda or otherwise all the time. As my sister suggests, they are pledging allegiance to the Republic for Widget Stands.
If Mayor Bob Scott is a Christian, he doesn’t need my permission to worship in spirit and in truth, to pray in his closet or in the marketplace. I recall a scripture where Jesus said, “Swear not at all for thou canst not make one hair black or white,” yet I acknowledge some faiths prefer to pick and choose their scriptures. I would like Mayor Scott to be able to follow his conscience, but that’s not my business. If he were my mayor, I would like him to uphold the Constitution, but taking an oath of office with his hand on the document means nothing. What matters is not sound bites and symbolism but votes. Then again, I don’t live in Franklin. If everybody there wants to pursue symbol wars at the expense of civil society, they can have at it.
