One major issue dividing our country involves differences between conservatives...

One major issue dividing our country involves differences between conservatives and liberals over recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings. Credit: AP/J. Scott Applewhite

Survival of the fittest — Darwin’s theory applies to animals, people, corporations and, yes, even countries. And over the years, science and history have taught us that sensing when something is about to go wrong, and addressing and fixing problems before they actually go wrong, can prevent future calamities and even total disasters. In that regard, many people believe our democracy is now in perhaps the most dangerous and vulnerable position it’s ever been in, and that sitting back and doing nothing should under no circumstances be an option.

One major issue currently dividing our country involves the philosophical differences between conservatives and liberals, and how those differences are affecting recent rulings by the Supreme Court. Indeed, while both conservatives and liberals agree that our country should be governed according to the laws of the land, they differ sharply in on how those laws and, especially, the Constitution, should be interpreted. Conservatives believe it should be interpreted literally, according to its exact wording, while liberals lean toward applying the intent of the principles in the Constitution to modern society.

However, let’s remember that the Constitution, which became the foundation for the law of our land in 1788, and its first ten amendments (commonly known as the “Bill of Rights”), which were ratified in 1791, were written during an era that has almost no connection to present-day reality. Much has changed since then. Indeed, when Bob Dylan wrote "The Times They Are a-Changin’," he was absolutely right: Not only are times changing, but they’re changing much more rapidly than any of us ever envisioned, and faster than any time in history.

Clearly, life in America today bears no resemblance to how Americans lived when the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were ratified over 200 years ago. Then, the fastest way humans could communicate with each other over long distances was by smoke signals or by using carrier pigeons. Homes had no running water or electricity, and relied on candles, fireplaces, and buckets of water from backyard drinking wells. There were no radios, televisions, movie theaters, or railroads. Public transportation was largely by horse and carriage.

Yet, with conservatives now controlling the Supreme Court, the original wording in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, documents created in the 1700s, is frequently being used to dictate how our society should be governed today. The court has ruled on such issues as limiting the powers of the Environmental Protection Agency based on wording crafted when nobody knew about the dangers of climate change, and on precluding New York from prohibiting concealed weapons when, in the days of muskets, cannons, and large and heavy dueling pistols, concealing such weapons was literally impossible.

Paul Richman

Paul Richman Credit: Courtesy Paul Richman

That’s like having a very early computer, continuously updating it with the latest hardware and software, but never changing its totally obsolete original instruction manual and still expecting it to yield useful results! Following such an approach in this highly competitive global economy, with dangerous geopolitical crises constantly developing all around the world, is surely a recipe for disaster.

What’s more, with our federal government virtually paralyzed by the congressional gridlock that has persisted through multiple administrations, and the idea of bipartisanship a distant memory, the prospects for passing meaningful legislation that might begin to address many of our country’s most serious problems are dim indeed.

Yes, “the times they are a-changin',” and our country will have to change with them or, remembering Darwin’s theory, we’ll eventually cease to exist as a democracy and as a nation.

This guest essay reflects the views of Paul Richman, former chairman and chief executive of Standard Microsystems Corporation, and a 2012 inductee into the Long Island Technology Hall of Fame. 

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