Times change, but human nature doesn’t. For centuries, huge populations of peasants were subjugated by ruling classes, until the American Constitution equalized all individuals with written rights.

In the 241 years since independence, America went from horse and plow to cars, airplanes, computers, MRI’s and Iphones. Think of it, through tens of thousands of years humans never got past the horse stage until the American Constitution equalized the rights of an entire population into law.

Opposition to the Vietnam War led our colleges into socialist ideology and out of free speech. Socialism is another way to develop the old ruling elite with a broad base of support from peasants dependent on money supplied by the ruling class. Every social program adds to dependency, until people are completely dependent on government. Production decreases because producers of wealth have to be taxed to pay for the dependents, who produce nothing.

You might want to read Robert Littell’s “The Stalin Epigram.” It will cause you to appreciate why our Founders created legal rights to protect individual freedom, and added a government structure that split power into three equal but separate forces to forestall dictatorship. That Socialists are rioting to prevent freedom of speech should tell you where your rights are going.

Howard Flora

Ledyard