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State's rights taken
When this nation was founded, practically every state constitution had requirements that stipulated that only Christians would be allowed to serve in public office.
The U.S. Constitution made no attempt to violate or reverse the states' requirements.
The recent Arkansas Supreme Court decision that the people of Arkansas cannot limit the number of terms of those elected to federal offices denies that "governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
Regardless of what the present U.S. Supreme Court may decide, the original intent of those who wrote the U.S. Constitution was to allow the states to add qualifications for senators and representatives so long as there was no conflict with the federal qualifications.
Michael S. Cole, M.D.
15 March 1994
Southwest Times Record
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