At the Bar; But for the 14th Amendment, the Bill of Rights might not guarantee very much
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First came Caroline Kennedy on all the talk shows, promoting “In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action,” (Morrow) the best-seller she and a law school classmate wrote to dramatize issues like the death penalty and freedom of the press. Then there was Life magazine’s special issue on the Bill of Rights, complete with analysis of each of the constitutional amendments, 1 through 10. And now, finally, it’s Freedom Week, the 200th anniversary of the Bill of Rights, marked by events like the one Wednesday at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, which celebrated the First Amendment, and segments all week on the NBC News program, “Today.” All well and good, says Howard N. Meyer, from his book-crammed Upper West Side study, but what about the 14th Amendment? Some people have a thing for trains, or stamps, or horses. But Mr. Meyer, a 77-year-old labor lawyer who is still active as an arbitrator, has a passion for the amendment he refers to as “Big Fourteen” in his out-of-print 1973 book, “The Amendment That Refused to Die.” Those who have spent little time pondering constitutional law may not see the glory of the 14th Amendment, which says: “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” But Mr. Meyer is a true believer. He writes letters to the editor about the 14th Amendment. He corresponds with legal reporters, and occasionally with Supreme Court Justices. And buff that he is, Mr. Meyer is aggrieved that the 14th Amendment is being ignored in the current publicity for the Bill of Rights. He dismisses Ms. Kennedy (”let’s call her Janie-Come-Lately”) and keeps a file called “First v. Fourteenth,” piling up evidence that the 14th Amendment is the real cornerstone of individual liberties, since without it, the Bill of Rights would have little effect. More : query.nytimes.com |