The Right is Rooted in Racism (and so is Alabama's Constitution)

I don't know why I do these things.  But it's so obvious to me. And so few people ever take the time to look below the surface.  You should try it sometime.  When you're reading an article online and the reporter just casually mentions Dr. Noname and the Somethingorother Institute, STOP.  Go look up Dr. Noname.  Look up the Somethingorother Institute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here, let me show you what you learn.  When I moved to Alabama, I learned that Alabama had the worst State Constitution known to mankind. Well, at least  Americakind.  It was blatantly racist, it kept power in the hands of the rural-county dominated legislature (aka the plantation class) and it was famous as the most-amended Constitution in the world.  (Because lawsuits kept getting bits and pieces of it ruled unconstitutional -- as in the United States Constitution unconstitutional.)

This has played on my mind for some time now.  And I keep wondering, "Why doesn't someone write a new constitution for the State?".   Now, before you go off half-cocked, in 2022 the State did pass a "new" Constitution.  Except it's not really new.  It's the same Constitution as written in 1901 -- just cleaned up.  (If you had clicked on that link above and read it, you'd already know this.) 

I can't help but think, "That Constitution was written to ensure White Supremacy.  Can you really clean anything like that up?".   Honestly, I don't know.  I'm not a lawyer.  Or a constitutional historian.  I'm just an old, retired civil servant.  But the thought won't leave me alone.

So, I Googled it.  (Actually, I use DuckDuckGo most of the time.)  "A New Constitution for Alabama".  Well, that was dumb of me.  I got nothing but news about the 2022 Constitution.  So I went at it another way.  "The State with the best Constitution."  The #1 answer came from The Goldwater Institute.  Wait, like Barry Goldwater?  Yes, that Goldwater.  I knew I didn't want anything to do with them so I started scrolling down and I thought STOP!  Think through this.

  

If you're wondering who has the "best" state constitution in America and the first thing the internet serves you up is an institute named for an old right-wing radical -- how did that come to be?  Well, from long experience, I can tell you.  The right wing of American politics has money.  A lot of money.  

 (Rabbit Hole Warning:  Click on this link at your own risk.  It NPR! "On how the Koch brothers' father built oil refineries for Hitler and Stalin")

The only entity with enough power to put serious constraints on an egotistical billionaire is Government.  The weaker an egotistical billionaire can make Government, the more power he can have.  He will tell you that he is empowering you ("I'll get Government off your back!") but you don't have a billion dollars.  However, you do have an equal share of the Government.  You get the same number of votes he does -- One.  So he attacks the entity that makes you equal to him (one man, one vote) and promotes the thing that keeps you less equal -- his power to make money.  But let's get back to the main point.

If you're crazy enough -- or young and idealistic enough -- to wonder which state has the best Constitution because you'd like your state to be better...well the smart guys want you to see their idea first.  And they have the money to make sure you do.  They can finance the professorships at colleges and the paying jobs at think tanks (that will keep the thinkers employed).  Here, let me show you.   Just look up The Goldwater Institute on Wikipedia.

"The Goldwater Institute is a conservative and libertarian public policy think tank located in Phoenix, Arizona, whose stated mission is "to defend and strengthen the freedom guaranteed to all Americans in the constitutions of the United States and all fifty states"."

Yeah, right.  They're on the side of "freedom"  For "all Americans".  Keep reading.

"Goldwater's litigation arm, the Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation, engages in lawsuits against government entities across the United States."

Now, we could dig into the "Scharf-Norton" entity (feel free) but let's stay on this track for now.  Because my old followers know where it goes.  All roads lead to Rome.  Follow the money. Pick your favorite old saying.

"The Goldwater Institute is a proponent of increased educational choice through charter schools and school vouchers."  (Just to prove they're real right-wingers.)

"The Goldwater Institute is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council. The organization has ties to the Koch family and the Walton Family Foundation."

Ah, the Koch Brothers -- and their Johnny-come-lately Walton friends.  I wish my blog would count the number of times I've mentioned the Koch Brothers.  (Fall down the rabbit hole.  See if I care. See where the name D.J. Gribbin leads you. )

So here we are, all these words  (and distracting hyperlinks) into this thing and it's hard to remember why we're here.  Isn't it?  Oh yeah.  Why isn't somebody writing a new constitution for Alabama?  

Did we forget how?  Are there no constitutional students at the University of Alabama?  No college professors that have devoted their lives to such matters?  Yeah, right.  Who is going to pay some egghead to sit around thinking about writing a document that needs writing once every hundred years or so?

Have you got The Flick yet?  Rich men (the Kochs, the Waltons, etc.) will pay for it because they know what it is worth.  And they will try to convince you (the Public) not to pay for it because they don't want you to understand what it is worth.

In researching all this, I did find two organizations that seem to be honestly engaged in the process.  I can't vouch for either one.  I can't find a third-party review on them either.  All I can say is they look legit, and I don't see any red flags telling me they're right-wing front groups.

Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform

and

The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama

Happy reading.

Don Brown
February 27, 2024