Pluralism and the Constitution
By
Given the
tensed and uncomfortable climate found today in the
United States, I would like to present, define, and
analyze the term Pluralism with the hope of helping
lower the temperature and expose some realities.
Let me first present several
definitions of Pluralism:
Oxford Dictionary:
a condition or system in which two or more states,
groups, principles, sources of authority, etc.,
coexist.
Merriam Webster:
4a: a
state of society in which members of diverse ethnic,
racial, religious, or social groups maintain and
develop their traditional culture or special
interest within the confines of a common
civilization
b: a
concept, doctrine, or policy advocating this state
Thughtco.com:
The political
philosophy of pluralism suggests that we really can
and should “all just get along.” First recognized as
an essential element of democracy by the philosophers of Ancient Greece, pluralism permits and even encourages a
diversity of political opinion and participation.
(Longley, R. 2019)
https://www.thoughtco.com/pluralism-definition-4692539
Analysis:
For the
entire mandate of President Trump, his opponents
were free to express their dislike for him and his
policies. The main media was vociferous in its
criticism and attacks. Under the constitution, they
had the right to do so. Those of us who differ from
the current Biden administration, also have the
right to express it and to debate in the public
arena.
When the conservatives were in
power, the new left exercised their constitutional
right to disagree with President Trump’s
administration, but now that the new left is in
power, they want to silence those who oppose their
agenda by imposing sanctions and intimidation.
The principles of the constitution have not changed with the new administration
The fact
that a hand full of misguided individuals, many of
them pretending to be associated with President
Trump, committed violent acts in January 6, does not
make everyone who supported President Trump a
terrorist. Those that perpetrated violence, would be
judged for their actions, will be sentenced, and
jailed. The rest of us, who are peaceful and
contributing members of the society, must be able to
freely express our dislike for the new
administration without fear of reprisal in our jobs,
and other activities such asocial media, etc.
Richard Norman, Ph.D. in his
article titled “The idea of Pluralism in the United
States (http://ourpluralhistory.stcc.edu/resources/Curriculum/TheIdeaofPluralism.pdf)
writes: “ The founders set out to create a political
system that could accommodate a multitude of
different groups and interest while producing
collective agreement that commanded allegiance” (P.
1)
Maimon
Schwarzschild (2000) in his article titled: “Value Pluralism and The Constitution” (Updated Feb 16 2021)
expresses: “freedom
of speech, for example,
has obvious overtones of value pluralism: among
conflicting ideas, many may be good. So likewise,
for religious liberty. The detailed plan for
elective office-holding, which occupies a large
chunk of the Constitution, also implies value
pluralism. Free elections mean that officials and
parties with conflicting ideals will tend to
alternate with each other. This might seem perverse
to a believer in a single ideal or in a unified
system of values who would question why falsehood
and wrong should be allowed to alternate with truth
and goodness.” (P. 2)
The framers of constitution
clearly intended for everyone to have the right to
their opinion and the right to express it freely and
we do not have to conform with the ideas of the
ruling party.
Unity was ignored for the last
4 years by the new left, calls for unity now, are
not only a sign of double-standard and hypocrisy,
but also a sign of impending desires of
totalitarianism.