CITIZENS: Know your government

Barack Obama ignores the Constitution by making and changing laws which only Congress has the authority to do, and Congress is allowing him to get away with it. Examples include:

• Changed mandatory sentences in drug offenses.

• Unilaterally waived Obamacare’s cap on patients’ annual out of pocket expenses.

• Waived welfare work requirements.

• Directed a 70 percent subsidy of insurance premiums for members of Congress and their personal staffs.

• Suspended for a year the Obamacare employer mandate for large employers.

• Ordered the immigration service to cease proceedings against young illegal immigrants brought here as children. Congress had refused to pass such a law (Dream Act).

Each of these are examples of the president unilaterally making law, and trampling the Constitution.

This is serious and alarming. Perhaps even more alarming is our society’s lack of fundamental knowledge of civics and our founding documents. Examples include: (courtesy of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor)

• Two thirds of Americans cannot name a single Supreme Court justice.

• Only about one third can name the three branches of government.

• Less than one fifth of high school seniors can explain how citizen participation benefits democracy.

Can our republic survive such ignorance in our electorate?

As an engineer, I appreciate the need for technical training, and I support STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). We cannot progress and prosper without people so trained, and will lose our competitive edge, as we already are without such training. However, even more important, is training in civics. Without an informed electorate we could lose our country.

Obama is a dangerous socialist with no appreciation of our history, culture and values. However, we can overcome him easier than we can overcome the collection of ignorant fools which would elect such a man.

DEAN HAAGENSON

Hayden Lake