On the issue of negative versus positive rights, I don’t know what more to say. The First Amendment protects freedoms by restricting government action. It used to just apply to the U.S. government, but the 14th Amendment now applies those restrictions to state and local governments. They protect freedom of religion by assuring that government can’t interfere in religion. It’s the same mechanism that protects our Second Amendment rights as well (and our Third, and Fourth, and…). Freedom isn’t just some slogan that you get to shout whenever things don’t go your way. It’s not an amorphous emotional blob. It’s a specific set of protections and assurances established by common, case and statutory law. These laws and their applications follow specific logical pathways, like a math problem. Perhaps you should take some time to learn how the mechanisms of our country actually work before you start discussing “freedom.”

Here’s how I see our situation, hope you let me know what you think about this.

I will be behind either Santorum OR Romney because Obama AND the Red Army/Marxist/Occupy/Democrat/Media/unAmerican activity matrix needs to be defeated and beating Obama is only a necessary STEPPING STONE to do so.

So much damage will need to be undone it will be a tremendous and arduous task requiring sustained support and perseverence to restore America as a constitutional republic because we are in fact, in a post-constitutional non-kinetic civil war and the late stages of a socialist revolution.

Think not only of the bloated 4th branch of govt, the administrative state, but of legitimate government department and branches full of “progressives” such as Ruth Badger Ginsburg and those who have appointed her to the US Supreme Court, who believe that the American Constitution is fundamentally flawed and irrelevant in 2012, as Obama or the ACLU Clinton appointed Supreme Court Occupier would argue not only in America but also abroad.

That said, Romney seems to have more charisma and ability to think on his toes on the spot in responding to the media and to any challengers. He has my vote of confidence. I have not vetted Romney very thoroughly for his possible RINO-ness but resisted his candidacy initially because of his “next in line” establishment GOP support. I was a NoRomney guy but he has actually impressed me as events, since then, have been unfolding. My candidate was Herman Cain (one of the many GREATS in the tea party movement who are backing the wrong guy in my opinion) so when he got out of the race after the allegations against him I started looking at all the other candidates in a more neutral and dispassionate fashion.

In my estimation Romney is the right guy for the job, but Santorum would be fine, even “better” in theory because his conservative credentials are in better standing than Romney’s. The trouble is Romney is far from being as bad as everyone thinks, he’s been vetted, even Santorum endorsed him last time he ran. The problem with a Santorum candidacy is he is easier to hurt due to the fact that no matter how blatantly illegal and unAmerican Obama administration actions are, the media will siphon off some undecided voters here and some there each time they paint these actions as issues of Santorums religious ideas rather than Obama’s attempt to force Americans to do or pay for things against their will. The media and Obama’s other friends can’t do that as easily with Romney so he would get that many more votes from undecideds and those who don’t know too much about all the “esoteric discussion” about a Marxist extremist/utopian upbringing weirdo in the white house and just want America to get out of this mess and terrible danger.

The first states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech”. I don’t see how you interpret this to mean “freedom FROM government interference in religion is the most appropriate way to read it.” The use of an opening prayer at a public school event is what I would consider free speech, not the establishment of a religion

I don’t think we are a theocracy, I laughed in the faces of GWB haters that claimed he was a fascist theocrat. Nor do I have a desire for a theocracy. I have a desire for tolerance, free speech and tradition and/or community values. The person that caused this entire fiasco was an out of state transplant and trouble causer. I know this because my niece was in his class and gave me plenty of dirt on him. They moved from elsewhere into a very small town with strong Christian values and long lines of family lineage. All he had to do was sit through a few minutes of a prayer that was openly embraced and welcome by the community and life would have been dandy.

Can you tell me what pain or suffering he would have experienced? Can you tell me how an opening prayer is an establishment of religion? Are you of the mindset that we should remove “In God We Trust” from our currency? Where does the line get drawn? What part of the Constitution says you are free from being offended?

In other words, nobody’s stifling Christianity. The judge is just following established Constitutional Law, and saying that religion does not have a place in a publicly funded event. Just because a prayer is only a few short minutes of religion doesn’t mean its ok. True intolerence is believing that your religion is so superior that you are entitled to co-opt state resources to practice it.

I don’t think that America is a theocracy. In fact, I know it’s not, because I actually have been trained in constitutional law, and understand what it means to be American. It’s you that thinks that it should be, in that you think that your particular religion should be able to co-opt the mechanisms of the state for it’s own benefit. In this case, if it was so important, why didn’t the student give a second speech at her church for her classmates? If not for her (and your) desire for a theocracy, why was it necessary that the prayer be conducted under the color of law?

You can pray to whatever god you want; it’s a free country. Just don’t do it on my dime.