The Affordable Care Act, with all its flaws and problems has many supporters and users. However, its opponents have now taken the Act to the Supreme Court.
In a well-researched article in the May 26 edition of The New York Times, columnist Robert Pear
says the opposition may be based on an error in the use of words. Pear bases his assessment on interviews with members of Congress, their staff, committee members and the process of drafting and reviewing the Law.
If Pear's assessment is correct, it seems to me the words which may have been written in error
could indeed cause legal scholars, and politicians grounds for debate.
The dictionary defines the word "law" in six different ways. Each definition is broken down in several different categories and usage. Synonyms for the word are also listed.
One of the main definitions is that law is the basis for civil and communal behavior. Even so
our history as a nation reminds us that sometimes laws can be less than just or fair.
Mr. Pear concludes his article with a quote from Justice Antonin Scalia who said "it is not what Congress would have wanted, but what Congress enacted." With all due respect to Justice Scalia, I wonder as a nation are we unable to admit mistakes and correct them?
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