Editor,

Who said, “Freedom of the Press belongs to the man who owns one?” Not sure who owns the South Whidbey Record, but I applaud publication of opposing Viewpoints from Harry Hansen and Steve Erickson in regard to the Electoral College. The mysterious owners of Sound Publishing have their hearts (and more important) their minds in a good place.

Perhaps Mr. Hansen would care to explain the phrase “three fifths of a person” in our Constitution. Is this something akin to King Solomon’s suggestion of settling a dispute over parentage of a baby by slicing the baby in half?

In a rare case of agreement, I support Erickson in considering the Electoral College perhaps valid at one time but now stinking like grape juice on the shelf since 1787. As far as my reaction to Mr. Hansen, “Not very fertile compost,” comes to mind. Or trying to shoe a horse by tossing shoes at its hooves.

Our Constitution is a brilliant document, though as an non-theist, I do not regard it as handed down via supernatural communication to people such as Washington, Madison, Franklin, etc.; people divided among slave owners and slavery antagonists; men just trying to create a viable nation in a hot summer not long after dumping a king and trying to untangle from a muddle called the Articles of Confederation. Puzzling over: “Are we 13 countries?” “Are we one nation?” Is poor old Ben Franklin, 81 years old and suffering from gout, going to die from heat prostration before we get the job done?”

The people who created the Constitution were very intelligent and knowledgeable. They also were scrambling human beings like us, punting, improvising, disagreeing and making mistakes. We’ve all made mistakes. Sometimes it takes a long time to admit and correct our errors. Slavery was worse. Electoral College not so bad, but in 2016 long past its pull date.

I respectfully invite Mr. Hansen to check his calendar and come to terms with the 21st Century.

STEPHEN KAHN

Langley