Ken Meade: Constitution is our roadmap, but understanding intent of founders is as important

To The Daily Sun,

In response to Rep. Gregg Hough's letter, though I agree with what I believe his primary argument is, I must question if he himself didn't have a lapse in basic knowledge of the Constitution. Though that catchy sound bite "separation of church and state" is not explicitly used in the document, the First Amendment, also known as the establishment clause, does in part state that the "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". Now if we want to know what the founding fathers meant by that, we only have to look at James Madison's writings to get a glimpse of his thought process when writing those words.

Madison wrote to the exact issue that the Supreme Court has now allowed in striking down the Maine tuition program and allowing public funds to go to a religious-based school. However, Madison argued in the opposite direction, noting that the government should not be allowed to levy taxes to have them given to a religious institution. See "Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments": founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-08-02-0163 for the full writing.

"We revere this lesson too much soon to forget it. Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects? That the same authority which can force a citizen to contribute three pence only of his property for the support of any one establishment, may force him to conform to any other establishment in all cases whatsoever?"

The Constitution is our roadmap, but understanding the intent of our founders is as important, when trying to determine when the Constitution is or is not being upheld.

Ken Meade

Laconia