Dear Editor:

Ahem, I wish to explore the "rights" under the first amendment to see if they stand up in the face of fact and in practice.

1. In "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion" it seems, based on the prima facie evidence across the nation; indicates that it HAS in fact, done just that, as it stands today.

Tax exemptions for any and all religions IS IN FACT, doing just that, in that it forces ALL Americans to make up the taxing shortfalls of government entities by tax-exempt institutions of one kind or another.

Thus a magnet for more and more religious institutions that can avoid the nation's indebtedness responsibility. Ergo, with several "gods" now representing our nation's religious institutions, there is no doubt that they will grow in leaps and bounds. As one skeptic put it, "The true god of the world is dee mo-nay", which brought to mind Christ calling these "Worshippers of Mammon."

1. If in a gathering of government leaders such as Congress members and/or the President; you stand up and accuse any or all, of corruption and thievery; such a freedom of speech ends at the pokey.

2. The question of whether there are any laws prohibiting certain words or phrases in print, in public forums, or in the halls of Congress; is easily answered. There are, stifling "freedom of speech".

Try "defamation" or yelling "fire" in a crowded building, or cursing our top leaders before the cameras, or calling a Judge in a courtroom a baldfaced liar. Ergo, such "freedom" ends at the pokey.

Granted, those laws are necessary to muzzle the abuse of "freedom of speech" lunatics. But the point is that the amendment should have an additional sentence such as "Except when in violation of a nation's laws".

Such of course, would bring up the question of "Who makes the laws?"

And of "Are any laws made that are self-serving for certain powerful groups and/or families?" Ahem....nolo contendere.

Too, suppose you put a hanky over a banana and tell the clerk at the register, "Give me all the paper money!" and a store guard behind you says, "You're under arrest!" Will a quick "I was just kidding, practicing my freedom of speech rights" keep you out of the pokey?

Ergo, all the ado over our rights under the Constitution, based on the prima facie evidence of the reality of them; are measured by the amount of wealth and power of an individual citizen.

That is, the richer you are, and/or the higher position of government power you have; the more "freedoms" you have under the Constitution...over and above those of the general public. That is a given, to be sure.

But I must admit that allowing this scribe's opinions to be published in this newspaper, IS in fact, one preciious freedom I am thankful for; and reserve the right to be wrong on some issues as stated above.

After all, at least I haven't spilled any oil in the gulf or put our nation in debt up to it's eyeballs, so that being wrong on some issues, as is the "plat du jour" of some of our top businesses and/or leaders; is not so bad in comparison.

Thus, the first Amendment of our Constitution DOES INDEED deserve some praise. The INTENT is obvious, but so many for so long, have abused it to such a monumental degree; that it stands partly stained by such antics.

Hopefully, for as long as "Old Glory" keeps flying in the wind, it too, will long stand against furthur abuse by self-serving militant groups that wish to divide fellow-americans against each other in the face of other threats from without. Our military deserves some respect and gratitude from such groups. and from the nation as a whole.

Joseph De Solis, St., Palacios