By: Dr. Bill Harlan
President Kathy Gailey called us to order, reminding us that RI president is John F. Germ whose motto is “Serving humanity.” Marv Remmich was the greeter and his Thought for the Day was that in chasing perfection, which is unattainable, we catch excellence. Marv led the Salute and Mike Thelan the Patriotic Song. Marv told us that he was in property management and serves on many local advisory committees and boards, including the San Ramon Valley Education Board. Visitors included Joyce Castro of the Fire District and Madison Wong of Kids Country.
Announcements:
Chris Gayler asked for volunteers to step forward and take on assignments. Stacey Litteral will replace Hermann Welm on Unsung Heroes. Bill Harlan will replace Horace Crawford on Honorary Rotarian. Chris is still looking for someone to take on liaison for the Trinity Center luncheon.
Dennis Harvey requested that we update our personal information for the roster, including pictures which Tech Guru Kathy Gailey assured us was easily done using Club Runner. Dennis is also working on a membership outreach at anupcoming Business Expo.
Jerry Marrs showed us a PSA for the auction which had been filmed last week. The filmmaker was a friend of Jerry’s who had volunteered and also donated an item for the auction.
Kathy Gailey requested a short Podium Meeting of the Board at 1:30 p.m.
Auction:
Collette Lay and Jerry Marrs went over the list of donors to last year’s auction to impress upon us the need for us to get more items. We are way behind last year's effort. They took some time to go over the list of previous donors to assign people to request help.
Program:
Marv Remmich introduced our speaker, attorney Martin Silverman who spoke about the particular strength of the US Constitution. Silverman’s main point was that the Constitution is both sturdy (having lasted over 200 years) and flexible (allowing for multiple interpretations over changing times). He called it a kind of “balancing act” which allowed society to change while the rules remained constant. In interpreting the original document we have sought “fairness” as our goal, even though we acknowledge that it is a subjective value. In general, our society fluctuates between seeking caring, fairness and liberty as opposed to tradition, hierarchy and authority. A classic example is the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law to abridge the freedom of speech.” And yet over the years we have accepted exemptions to this principle for the common good: “You cannot yell ‘Fire’ in a crowded theater.” The Second Amendment stipulates that the right to bear arms is necessary for a well-regulated militia. Social forces have led to a broadening of this principle into a generalized “right to own a gun,” although restricted that to only certain kinds of weapons.
Mr. Silverman explored for us the curious origin of the “right to privacy,” a principle which is not enumerated in the Constitution. Rather it was a value added as a result of the Supreme Court decision of Griswold versus Connecticut, a case based on the principle of due process. As such it became the basis for Roe versus Wade. Another source for added value was the proviso that Congress would provide for the defense and general welfare, which was the basis for the control of interstate commerce. This in turn has led to the imposition of over 4,000 regulations issued by the federal government since World War II. The constitution does not specify a particular economic system for the country, which has led to what Silverman called our successful amalgam of capitalism and socialism. We continue to strive over the issues which our flexible rules present. Both Ronald Reagan and George Bush issued executive orders regarding immigration. However, only those of President Obama were challenged in court.
As we face the future the central issue of terrorism is our latest challenge. We need to find a balance between security and liberty. That will mean we will once again use the mechanism of our Constitution to achieve a reasonable compromise. We have learned that either extreme – rampant capitalism or absolute government control – can lead only to slavery. In this process we will continue our search for our ultimate goal – “a more perfect union.”
Jerry Marrs won the Greeter’s Gift, after drawing his own ticket with no outward sense of shame.
Mike Gunning was unable to throw boxcars or snake eyes for the big prize. More money next week!