Rights, Responsibilities, and the Constitution

The reason the Constitution speaks more of rights than responsibilities is that it was written to protect the individual from the Government.  That is why, as written, it specifies and limits the powers of the central government, and spells out many of the things that the Government is forbidden from doing.  While that has not always kept the Government on its leash, it gives us a point of reference to help those of us who are interested in such things discern what the Government should and should not be doing...and to let us see where we've gone off track.

 

The Founders presumed that most people, enjoying the freedom to make anything out of their life that they wished, would be responsible for themselves.  And part of the obligation of each generation was to teach the lessons of personal responsibility, shared obligations, and the importance of community and tradition, to each succeeding generation.

 

With the advent of the Welfare State, a growing number of Americans have become more interested in what they can get from the Government than with providing for themselves.  With personal responsibility now becoming seen by many as more of a lifestyle choice than a prerequisite for self-government, we can now see clearly where this will lead us in the not-too-distant future if we don't change course rather soon.   

"Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again.” 

~ Ronald Reagan, from his first inaugural speech as governor of California, January 5, 1967

JEFFREY CAMINSKY, a retired public prosecutor from Michigan, writes on a wide range of topics. His books include the Guardians of Peace-tm science fiction adventure series, The Sonnets of William Shakespeare, and the acclaimed Referee’s Survival Guide, a book on soccer officiating. All are published by New Alexandria Press, and are available on Amazon, as well as directly from the publisher.

Happy Birthday, Dad...We Miss You

It's been nearly four months since my father died.  In the time since then, our family has undergone many changes --- some from simply mourning the loss of someone we loved, others from happier events, such as the wedding of my daughter.  Through it all, my writing has largely been put on a sabbatical.

Today would have been my father's 92nd birthday.  We visited his grave at the National Cemetery in Holly to wish him a happy birthday, and had a toast in his honor over lunch in Fenton.

This is the obituary I wrote for him.

Wallace Caminsky

October 28, 1922–July 6, 2014

Wallace Caminsky was born on October 28, 1922, the oldest child of immigrant parents. Growing up in Hamtramck, his family was hit hard during the Depression, and he grew up watching his parents scramble to make a living. Graduating from Hamtramck High in 1940, he briefly attended college, until the outbreak of World War II. Enlisting in the Army, he worked as a cryptographer on a command ship in the South Pacific, the USCGC Ingham, where he saw action in the Philippines and other islands.

On his return, he graduated from Wayne State University, majoring in English. In 1948 he married Alice Luniewski — also from Hamtramck — and soon began a family of his own. His first son, Jeff, was born in 1951, and a second son — Chris — followed three years later. Working in the auto industry, he moved from Ford Motors to Chrysler in 1957, where he worked for the next twelve years. Active in politics and current events throughout his life, he was deeply shaken by the Kennedy assassination, and was a member of various human rights groups during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. He remained interested and involved in current affairs until his death.
 

Eager to expand his horizons, he started law school in 1964, attending night classes at the Detroit College of Law and graduating in 1969 — the same year his oldest son graduated from high school. After practicing law with the firm of Kazmarek and Nedzi, he became an administrative law judge in 1975, and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1987.
 

Interested in literature as well as sports and current events, he wrote poetry and short stories, and published two books: All Fathers Are Giants, a collection of short stories; and Words for Other People’s Music, a collection of his poems. 
 

He leaves behind a loving family, including his devoted wife, Alice, his two sons, Jeffrey and Christopher and their wives, Navona and Catherine, grandchildren Jason and Julia, and great-grandchildren Alana and Elise.

Wallace Caminsky died on July 6, 2014, after a long illness.

Happy birthday, Dad.  We love you, and will always miss you.


JEFFREY CAMINSKY, a retired public prosecutor from Michigan, writes on a wide range of topics. His books include the Guardians of Peace-tm science fiction adventure series, The Sonnets of William Shakespeare, and the acclaimed Referee’s Survival Guide, a book on soccer officiating. All are published by New Alexandria Press, and are available on Amazon, as well as directly from the publisher.