Vote to keep our country free

When our Constitution was drafted, there was a strong Federalist sentiment that religious laws should be written at the state level. Accordingly, the only thing about religion in the Constitution is that all religions are considered equal. And, from the beginning until the present time, organized religions have been given tax exemptions provided they stay out of politics. This clear separation of church, state and politics have made the USA powerful and respected at home and around the world.

Some Republican politicians and religious leaders have openly stated that Biblical law should come before Constitutional law, and that gays should be executed by the Biblical method of stoning. They also want to force everyone, by making laws, to follow their version of Biblical law even if it is against an individual's beliefs. This would clearly delete the separation of church and state.

With all of this in mind, vote in November for local, state and national political leaders from other than the Republican Party and keep our country free and on an even keel.

Dean Barnum

Cedar Rapids