The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Last Rights

1.23.07 @ 12:01AM

UNITY TICKET
Re: Jed Babbin's Happy Trails:

As a regular reader of Jed Babbin's columns I would like to add my regrets and best wishes I'm sure he's receiving from TAS contributors, staff, and online loyalists. I believe in this final article he has brought up a theme that should be emphasized: the value of the "conservative coalition." The concept that he refers to of bringing together all sorts of people of conservative mien but differing approaches is the key to the success and importance of TAS. Once again Jed has said what many of us have wanted to about the large world of conservatism. Bon Voyage and fair sailing to Jed from one of his many admirers.
-- George Wittman

I'm sorry to see you go, Mr. Babbin. I've always enjoyed your columns on the Spectator web site.

May you enjoy fair winds and following seas in your new endeavor.
-- R. Goodson
Vero Beach, Florida

Heartiest congratulations to Jed Babbin on his new position at Human Events. While I'm sorry to see him leave TAS, Events is one of my daily visitation sites for conservative news and views, so it's not like he's disappearing into thin air.

As he states, it's time for all conservatives from the various sites to unite and "craft the future of the conservative coalition and our nation." I couldn't have put it better if I tried.

Best of wishes, Jed, and come back when you can. But we'll be looking for your words of wisdom at Human Events.
-- Jim Bjaloncik
Stow, Ohio

God speed, Mr. Babbin. And thanks for the memories.
-- C. Vail

LAST RIGHTS
Re: Jeremy Lott's Oh Boy, Alberto:

Who'd have thought that Mr. Scottish Law himself, Arlen Specter, would know Constitutional law better than the attorney general of the United States?
-- Paul DeSisto
Cedar Grove, New Jersey

I wonder if Jeremy Lott, and Arlen Specter were available in WWII they would be concerned about habeas corpus "rights" for German and Japanese POW's...

How absolutely asinine it is to raise these issues over folks trying to kill our troops on the battlefield. I hope we keep these clowns incarcerated for the duration, or execute them.

I could give a damn less about their "rights."
-- Jim Karr
Blue Springs, Missouri

Jeremy Lott speaks of the Constitution "conferring rights" and in the next sentence claims that the first amendment "grants freedom of speech." I learned and have always contended that the founders wrote the constitution and particularly the bill of rights as constraints on the government. They assumed that rights were God-given and the state needed to be restrained from trespassing on those rights.

So I would have written "guaranteeing rights" and "protecting freedom of speech."

Letter to the Editor

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