Constitutional Reformation

Terry Paulson has a great article over at Townhall.com today entitled America Needs a Constitutional Reformation that argues that the way out of the mess we're in is a turning back to Constitutional principles. Here Paulson uses Reformation as it was understood when the Church went through it: a re-grounding. Paulson is not looking to have a new Constitutional Convention, in which leftists could organize and write into it what they think ours should have said. Instead, he wants us to take our existing Constitution, and start applying it again. I hope Paulson jumps hard on this theme, and that others pick it up. Here is how he opens the piece:

Yes, America needs change. It needs a "Reformation," not more deficit-expanding, economy-crippling reforms. While many of the world's economies are bouncing back from recession by showing spending restraint, cutting taxes and stimulating private economic growth, we're facing exploding deficits, jobless stagnation and looming higher taxes. While Americans look to government with open hands, much of the world is busy inventing a more profitable future at our expense.

Unfortunately, it may take a prolonged recession, lingering unemployment and more bankrupt states and cities for Americans to realize that more entitlements and more stimulus packages are not the answer. It's time for a secular Reformation to call our country back to the Constitutional principles that made us what we are.

Then, "below the fold" he quotes some classic Walter Williams. Of course, I always appreciate Walter Williams ability to take large economic principles, which are wrapped in a soaring combination of technical jargon and emotion tugging language, and bring them down to earth.

I only really have one quibble with Mr. Paulson's article. In it, he says:

America has steadily been drifting from the Constitutional grounding our Founding Fathers established. What started with FDR's New Deal has now blossomed into a nanny state where the Constitutional rights that promoted life, liberty, personal responsibility and the opportunity to pursue happiness have been transformed into the right of citizens to have healthcare, welfare and lifetime security.

I think it really started in earnest with FDR's cousin, Teddy Roosevelt. Other than that, I think it's a good article. Go on over there, and read it.