Sen. Pres. Russel Pearce’s Brother Judge Lester Pearce is a Skousian. Is Russel, Too?

By Michael Bryan

It seems that Lester Pearce, brother of Arizona Fürer Russell Pearce, is an adherent of the racist, theocratic, crackpot historical-legal theories of W. Cleon Skousen. I actually don't find this terribly surprising, given what I know about the Pearce family's politics. In fact, Russell Pearce has never denied that he is a follower of Skousen. The question is my mind is how much of this clap trap that his brother believes does the guy in charge of Arizona's legislature believe?

From The Nation via Utne Reader:

"In October I spent a crisp Saturday in the windowless basement of a suburban Virginia church attending a seminar titled “The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution.” I was told that the Constitution is based on the Law of Moses; that Mosaic law was brought to the West by the ancient Anglo-Saxons, who were probably the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel; and that the Constitution restores the fifth-century kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons.

The instructor, an Arizona judge named Lester Pearce, also declared that virtually all of modern American life and government is unconstitutional. Social Security, the Federal Reserve, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, hate crime laws—all flatly violate God’s law. State governments are not required to observe the Bill of Rights, and the First Amendment establishes “the religion of America,” which is “nondenominational” Christianity.

Pearce’s brother is Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, author of the anti-immigrant law SB 1070. So it wasn’t surprising that Lester tended to digress about how he cracks down on Mexican immigrants in court. More astounding was that he had the rapt attention of 50 attendees—earnest citizens who had come to learn about their country’s Constitution.

And what they were being taught was poisonous rubbish."

Read more: http://www.utne.com/Politics/We-The-People-Constitution-Originalism-Conservative-Politicians.aspx#ixzz1Jjt6oIX1

So, I think Arizona's reporters have a fair basis on which to begin to actually ask Russell Pearce just what aspects of Skousen's political beliefs he also believes in.

Here are a few suggested questions for members of our esteemed press to ask Senator Pearce:

1) Is the United States a divinely inspired and founded nation based on Christian law?

2) Do the States have the right to negate federal laws?

3) Are Social Security and many other entitlements and federal programs unconstitutional?

4) Does the Constitution only confer rights on white Anglo-Saxon people?

5) Should the direct election of US Senators be repealed and reutrned to the state legislatures?

There are many more unusual and offensive views that devotees of Skousen hold. Perhaps members of the press would do well to actually read up on Skousen and ask Pearce whether he shares those beliefs.