Clues to Adventure

John Nesbit considers a Mother Goose rhyme, a newspaper article from the 18th Century, and a rusty piece of iron in this entry in THE PASSING PARADE.

Although some of the entries are weak in their assumptions, the middle one is about John Peter Zenger, and all three are linked by being the sources of the Bill of Rights - the first ten amendments to the United States constitution, enshrining the rights to freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.

In these difficult times - and all times are difficult for the people who live in them - it is good to reflect on these rights, which must be fought for continually; the Supreme Court of the United States spends most of its labor making that point again and again. These rights must not only be celebrated; they must be exercised continually, lest we get out of the habit.