The phrase "litmus test" is in bad odor for good reason: politicians should be judged on a variety of positions, not just one. But deep down, nearly every voter has at least one litmus test— an issue so personally important that a politician who fails the test is forever tainted, or at least excluded from consideration for the presidency.
I inherited my one litmus test from my father, Jim Alter, who flew 33 harrowing missions over Nazi Germany during World War 11. My father is not just a veteran who by all odds should not have survived. He is a true patriot. His litmus test is the proposal to amend the Constitution to ban flag burning, which will come up for a vote next week in the U. S. Senate. For dad—and me—any member of Congress who supports amending the Bill of Rights for the first time in the history of this country for a nonproblem like flag burning is showing serious disrespect for our Constitution and for the values for which brave Americans gave their lives. Such disrespect is a much more serious threat than the random idiots who once every decade or so try (often unsuccessfully) to burn a flag.
Our understandable outrage at flag burning shouldn't turn our brains to mush. "I feel the same sense of outrage, but I would not amend that great shield of democracy (the Constitution) to hammer a few miscreants," Colin Powell said when the issue last came up (his position has not changed). "The flag will be flying proudly long after they have slunk away." Powell argues that a constitutional ban on flag burning is a sign of weakness and fear.
John Glenn, another of the thousands of combat veterans against the amendment (they have banded together in a group called Veterans Defending the Bill of Rights), notes that "those 10 amendments we call the Bill of Rights have never been changed or altered by one iota, not by one word, not a single time in all of American history. There was not a single change during any of our foreign wars, and not during recessions or depressions or panics. Not a single change when we were going through times of great emotion and anger like the Vietnam era, when flag after flag was burned or desecrated. There is only one way to weaken our nation. The way to weaken our nation would be to erode the freedom that we all share."
Actually, even during the Vietnam War, flag burning was rare. By one count, there have been only 45 such incidents in 200 years, and fewer than half a dozen since it was outlawed in 1989. Should the Constitution be amended, however, the incidence of flag burning is expected to surge as a form. of civil disobedience. What began as a phony issue designed to prove patriotism (usually on the part of those who never served, the primary sponsors) could become a real concern.
The flag-burning amendment, which already passed the House, is apparently just short of the 67 needed in the Senate. With one or two absences, the amendment would be approved. It would then go to the states for ratification, where its chances for approval appear good.
Senators afraid of being seen as soft on flag burners should just adopt the Hillary Clinton dodge: support for a statute, but not an amendment. Another law is a dopey idea (an earlier one was struck down by the Supreme Court), but it's politically safe and better than perverting the Constitution.
To make matters worse, the amendment is vaguely worded, which led to fatuous debate in the Senate over whether a woman wearing a skimpy bathing suit patterned with stars and stripes was guilty of desecration. Bloggers wondered the same thing about President Bush's new habit of autographing flags when he shakes hands on rope lines. Unconstitutional？ With a war on and a hundred other pressing problems, it's nice to see our elected representatives focused on what really counts.
The usual litmus tests-abortion, gun control, Iraq-shouldn't be. Reasonable and sincere people can disagree, w
A．The effectiveness of litmus test is greatly undermined by its failure to judge politicians on a variety of positions.
B．It's unfair to exclude a politician who fails a certain litmus test from the presidency.
C．Current litmus tests like abortion or gun control are not reliable indicators of public opinions.
D．Some specific litmus tests on certain issues axe fundamental in shaping people' s judgment of politicians.
Crime is a very serious problem in Britain. One sort of crime which particularly worries people is juvenile delinquency—that is, crimes committed by young people. For some years juvenile delinquency had been increasing. There are two main sorts of juvenile crimes: stealing and violence. Most people do not understand why young people commit these crimes. There are, I think, a large number of different reasons.
These crimes are not usually committed by people who are poor or in need. Young people often dislike and hate the adult world. They will do things to show that they are rebels. Also in Britain today it is easier for young people to commit crimes because they have more freedom to go where they like and more money to do what they like.
There are two other possible causes which are worth mentioning. More and more people in Britain live in large towns. In a large town no one knows who anyone else is or where they live. But in the village I come from crimes are rare because everyone knows everyone else.
Although it is difficult to explain, I think the last cause is very important. Perhaps there is something with our society which encourages violence and crime. It is a fact that all the time children are exposed to films and reports about crime and violence. Many people do not agree that this influences the young people, but I think that young people are very much influenced by the society they grow in. I feel that the fault may be as much with our whole society as with these young people.
6. From the passage we know that many British people are confused about ().
A. the cause of juvenile crimes
B. the rise of the crime rate
C. the problem of crimes in their country
D. the various kinds of juvenile delinquency
7. One reason why young people in large cities are more likely to commit crimes is that ().
A. nobody knows anything about others
B. they are free to move
C. they live a better life
D. they need more money
8. According to the passage, which groups of the following young people are LEAST likely to commit crimes？
A. Those living in big cities
B. Those who are in need of help
C. Those who are very poor
D. Those living in the countryside
9. Unlike many others, the author holds that one important cause for juvenile delinquency is that().
A. young people nowadays do not like adult world
B. young people in Britain today are freer than before
C. too many young people have come to live in big cities
D. young people are influenced by crime and violence in films and newspapers
10.According to the passage, which is to blame for juvenile crimes, apart from the young people themselves？
A. The adult world
B. Their parents
C. The development of the cities
D. The society
