We must be united to stay free
By The Bakersfield Californian
John Pryor made the point in his Oct. 14 Sunday Forum article, "Individualism prevails in most of life's experiences, but not all," that our Founding Fathers leaned toward "individualism" when they wrote the Constitution.
My reading of history gives a different conclusion. The Articles of Confederation, by which the country was governed after the Revolution, were the epitome of individualism, and nothing was getting accomplished by government. The new country was in danger of defaulting on its obligations and had no means of protecting itself from foreign powers. The Constitution was the result of hard bargaining by our founders. True, powers not specified by the Constitution were reserved for the states, but on many occasions, the Supreme Court found these powers to be in the federal realm.
We are a nation of many individuals who derive our strength and freedom by coming together as a community with shared values and shared respect. This is the only way we can continue to be free.
James D. Harris
Bakersfield
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