Russ's Ravings: Beginners Guide To Communism And The Constitution

Editor's note: The following is Patch Field Editor Russ Crespolini's, hopefully, weekly column. It is reflective of his opinion alone.

Not since the "Red Scare" era of the 1950s when fanatical senator Joe McCarthy was holding hearings and calling anyone who disagreed with him Communist have we seen such a broad use of the term. But it is back now.

• Someone proposes something for the good of the public health? Communist.
• Someone suggests common sense restrictions on gun ownership? Communist.
• McRib is back? Communist.

Fortunately, those people who are talking like this they seem to have the solution right at hand. The Constitution.

• Restrictions on youth sports during the pandemic: Guess we forgot about the Constitution?
• People holding house parties against executive orders: It is WE the PEOPLE in the Constitution.
• McRib is back? Thanks to the Constitution.

But to quote one of my favorite philosophers, Inigo Montoya:

"You keep using that word, but I do not think it means what you think it means."

Regular readers of my columns can tell you I eschew labels and dogmas. And throughout my career I've been called a conservative shill, a war-criminal supporting war hawk, a lib-tard and many other partisans slurs that fit what exacerbates people at the moment. And those are just the ones I can repeat in print.

But recently, the label of communist and communism has risen to the top. And I must admit I am somewhat at a loss as to why. And this is not just with me, although I see it on my work social media and email accounts, I see it increasingly being used on others across various platforms.

Communism, by definition, is a political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production and the natural resources of a society.

I have personally never written about the replacement of private property or our established economy. I am nowhere near intelligent enough to do so.

And herein lies the concern. The aforementioned McCarthy dominated the political climate in the early 1950s through sensational and unproven charges of communist subversion. His reign ended when Republicans lost control of the Senate in the midterm elections and McCarthy was replaced as chairman of the investigating committee. He was censured and died before completing his second term in office.

More than half a century later, we have people tossing around unproven allegations and attempting to smear anyone who disagrees with them by labeling them a communist.

It didn't work then, and it isn't going to work now.

People who want others to wear masks, to be vaccinated, to stay home when they are sick, or to work with contact tracers are not asking to take down our economy and create communal wealth. They are asking for common sense support in defeating a pandemic.

And whether you disagree with that approach or not, it doesn't make those who disagree with you a communist. That just isn't how things work.

But these people also have the catch-all remedy for "communism." The "Constitution."

One thing I have noticed since the boom in Constitutional scholars over the last two years, is that very few of them have actually read it.

Spoiler alert: The Constitution doesn't say you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. It does not absolve you from consequences, nor does it sanction anything you want to do 'coz freedom.

The Constitution basically has three functions. It created a national government with a legislative, (the Senate and House) an executive (the Office of the President), and a judicial branch (The Supreme Court), with a system of checks and balances among the three branches.

It also divides power between the federal government and the individual states. And finally, and this is the one people mostly overextend, it protects various individual liberties of American citizens.

You know what it doesn't do?

• It doesn't allow you to walk into a business, steal a bottle of vodka, drink it in a car and drive drunk on the highway.
• It doesn't allow you to walk maskless into a store during a pandemic and attack an underage grocery clerk because they asked you to follow the rules.
• It also doesn't allow you to decide things you dislike and disagree with are invalid.

I know, because I read it and the first 10 amendments (more popularly known as the Bill of Rights) and amendments 11-27 on the National Archives website.

I have read them before but I went back just to make sure I didn't miss anything. I didn't.

But I did learn something new though. I did not know that the 27th amendment, which is about payment for Senators and Representatives, was proposed in Sept. of 1789 but wasn't ratified until May of 1992.

You can read all about it on the site.

You often hear people toss out "We the People..." in an argument, but they never actually finish the preamble. The part about general welfare, domestic tranquility and establishing the rules to help make these ideals a reality. Context is important.

So I suggest everyone take a look, especially before you invoke it. Because it does everyone a disservice when you don't.

Russ Crespolini is a Field Editor for Patch Media, adjunct professor and college newspaper advisor. His columns have won awards from the National Newspaper Association and the New Jersey Press Association.

He writes them in hopes of connecting with readers and engaging with them. And because it is cheaper than therapy. He can be reached at russ.crespolini@patch.com