Lots of romantic notions these days about 'defending the Constitution' with automatic weapons and lots of boys wanting to play in the woods in camo gear. Lots of charismatic leaders, driven by their personal convictions that they are the chosen ones, putting the Constitution in a blender with the Book of Revelations and mixing up the medicine for the faithful.

Is the Constitution now MORE threatened in the past year than it has been for the past 234 years? Or is it that the economy's bad, the education system has failed to educate Americans about their own history, and we have a Black president and a 24 hour criticism machine amping up the agitation while damping down the tolerance?

Is it that we think the Constitution was written by God, or that we think that in this world where everything changes constantly, that there is a piece of paper that is resistant to change, interpretation and evolution? One suspects the Romans, the Pharaohs, The Catholic Church all thought they had a piece of paper like that too ... up to a point.

Or is it that we have to, as a nation, pass through a dark night like Europe did not so long ago in order to come out the other side?

Not just my worst nightmare ....