Watch Your Feet

Robert Klassen
Dec. 24, 2005

When I was a child, and I went with my dad into the cow pastures, he would always caution me to "Watch your feet." Good advice. There’s nothing like a misstep in a cow pasture to make a kid unwelcome at home.

I don’t suppose there are many kids today who need to hear that kind of advice, simple and straightforward as it was. Kids have far worse things to step in now. Is there anyone around to warn them?

I’ve been reading about the agony of elders trying to interpret these words:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable causes, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

With all due respect for the Black Robes, if we’re all speaking English, I do not detect a mote of ambiguity in the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.

As for the President:

I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Very simple, and straightforward, isn’t it? No cow pies in this pasture, right?

Well, we grownups know better. We have nothing so innocent as cow pies in our pasture, we have minefields of lies and distortions that won’t just dirty our shoes, but will literally blow us away. Is that what we want?

It’s no fun cleaning up after cows, I assure you, and it will be even less fun cleaning up after politicians, but it’s a job that urgently needs to be done.

Just watch your feet.