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Highlands Today

Macklin The Magnificent

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Randy Ludacer

Published: November 11, 2007

After reading the Nov 4 piece on "citizen Macklin" and his legislative objectives, I think it is past time to send him to law school where he may be disabused of some of his less than democratic viewpoints on American government and learn some American history. His six years as mayor of Avon Park has taught him little about the democratic process and his enthusiasm for Mexican bashing is his attempt to lever himself to higher offices for which he is manifestly unqualified.

As a mirror image of the flag-wavers and breast beaters of long ago, he is definitely not what American politics needs. One does not have to look too far back in history to recall that some of the worst tyrants came to power through the rise of small political gangs playing to popular prejudice and fears. Macklin has apparently studied the script well. His choice of topics is artful and dangerous. For example, term limits is a lazy man's device to keep government in the hands of the inexperienced.

Why bother the voters with deciding whether their elected representative are doing a good job or not.
Throw out the baby with the bath water, less some qualified office holders develop the expertise to do a good job.

Similarly, bashing a powerless minority is an excellent way to demonstrate that as a man of the people, he is not above taking the low road and the cheap shot to solidify his popularity with the uninformed. Macklin's whipping boys, the undocumented immigrants have been with us for quite a long time, first as invited guest workers during World War II and later as virtually unnoticed laborers at the bottom of our economy.

He may want to review the old Nuremberg laws for additional guidance.Not until Lou Dobbs and Hazleton, Pa., decided that we had too many Hispanics in our country did Macklin decide his time had come. Rather than trying to distinguish between Spanish speaking neighbors who had been in his community for ages, and people who crossed the Rio Grande the day before yesterday, he sponsored some draconian, and manifestly unconstitutional legislation to run all of these folks out of town.

Without seeking legal guidance from his city attorney, Macklin was content to create a tempest in a teacup and then withdraw and declare himself ready for higher office. Some folks should stick to what they do best – like racing lawn mowers.

Randy Ludacer
Lake Placid

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