Idaho’s politicians should stand up for all rights stated in the Constitution.
In the state of Idaho, the Constitution and civil liberties go hand in hand. The importance of unrestricted gun rights and the Second Amendment is stressed whenever the opportunity arises. Idaho congressmen have used the Second Amendment to declare gun control measures unconstitutional for decades.
The importance of the 10th Amendment is stressed every time Idaho’s congressional delegation is afraid of government overreach. Every single Idaho congressman has used the 10th Amendment to justify the repeated attempts at repealing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
At the beginning of the summer the British newspaper The Guardian began leaking information on the NSA’s dragnet surveillance system, which has been growing since 9/11. Thanks to abuses of the Patriot Act and the FISA Court system, the U.S. government has almost unrestricted access to information and data on many American citizens.
These programs sparked a national conversation pitting the Fourth Amendment against the need for security. One would assume Idaho’s congressmen would continue their constitutional crusade and defend the Fourth Amendment as vehemently as they do the Second.
This is where the problem lies, they do not. Upholding the Constitution whenever possible would be a refreshing thing in American politics.
However, there appears to be some major voting inconsistencies in many of Idaho’s congressional representation.
Idaho Senators Michael Crapo and Jim Risch along with Representative Mike Simpson tout the Constitution when it’s politically convenient, but when the stakes are high and American’s civil liberties are on the line the ball is dropped.
In 2001, Crapo and Simpson both voted yes on the highly controversial Patriot Act. In 2005, both of these men voted to reauthorize it. In 2011, reauthorization was up for a vote again and all but one member of Idaho’s representation voted yes.
First District Representative Raul Labrador was the only congressman from Idaho to vote no on the second reauthorization vote. Even if you disagree with his politics, the consistency is nice.
Idahoans are passionate about the constitution, and this is generally shown in their representative’s voting record. It goes without saying that gun rights and the Second Amendment are untouchable in the Gem State, so why are our representatives not held to the same standard when it comes to the Fourth Amendment? It is imperative to hold our government officials accountable, especially when they stray from their supposed ideals.
The Constitution is not infallible, so there may be something to be said for the abandonment of the Fourth Amendment by Idaho’s politicians. Abolishing privacy may be necessary for our security. Gun control might be too, but Idaho politicians would never think about violating those rights.The citizens of Idaho must let our government know that all 27 amendments are important, they must know that endangering any of our constitutional rights will come with backlash. Idaho does a great job at protecting the Second Amendment and we cannot be ambivalent about the Fourth.
Justin Ackerman can be reached at [email protected]