Historic Charter

To the Editors:

I thank whatever gods there be that my family and I are an integral part of the throng of Americans pictured on your cover honoring the Constitution's Bicentennial ((SPECIAL ISSUE, July 6)).

Karleen Home Rosaaen

Tucson

We the People should never forget to give thanks to our farsighted Founding Fathers. The document they hammered out that hot summer 200 years ago has stood firm and has had a long-lasting effect on the world. It has enabled our nation to be flexible in the wake of change while upholding the rights of each citizen.

Doug Wittmer

Topeka

Let us not toy with our Constitution. A modern-day convention would only create chaos and destroy the subtleties, language and spirit of the 1787 document. If our elected representatives cannot resolve through legislative action issues now facing us such as the deficit, a balanced budget and government waste, then how could they possibly make a success of a constitutional convention?

Angel O. Gomez

Union City, N.J.

Your article on the Soviet Union's constitution states that the document grants every citizen the right to a job. Such a basic right is not to be found in ours. Chalk one up for the Soviets.

James Gardner Erickson

Minneapolis

The British do not have to worry about their lack of a written constitution. They have in Parliament what is known as a question hour, which acts as a check on executive power. Our history with Watergate and the Iran-contra affair makes me think it might be a good idea for our President to appear monthly before a congressional committee to report what he knows about this or is doing about that. We separate our governmental branches a little too much.

Alan O. Martlew

Camp Hill, Pa.

The Constitution's great merit lies in its timeliness, its depth and its durability. People like Ralph Nader, the consumer advocate, and Bernie Sanders, the socialist mayor of Burlington, Vt., would sacrifice the individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution for specific economic amendments. There is great danger in adopting ideas that may be fleeting in nature. Legislative avenues are available for the introduction of new notions.

Hugh Pearce

Wilmington, Del.

As an Indian who is touring the States, I welcomed your reference to the ideals that India's constitution borrowed from the U.S.'s, particularly the fundamental rights of a citizen. Many Indians as well as Americans cherish the slogan "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."

Eramangal A. Sivaraman

Bartlesville, Okla.

Even though I am a Canadian, I thoroughly admire the U.S. Constitution. No other country celebrates itself quite the way America does.

Jason Beck

Toronto