Summer Vacation, Yellowstone and the Bill of Rights

My son Cyrus told me he heard from his teacher that Berkeley Unified is considering eliminating summer vacation. I really doubt his teacher said that, but that is how rumors start in the 4th grade, on the Internet, and in the U.S. Congress. I told Cyrus not to worry about it. Given the ACLU’s work on education equity, I explained the legitimate concerns about lost learning time in the summer, but assured him that his greatest protection against such a thing happening any time soon is the exorbitant cost.

He breathed a sigh of relief. With summer vacation saved from encroaching government, we continued packing our car for a three-week road trip to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons national parks.

On the trip I thought often about Ken Burns’ documentary, where he makes the claim that the national parks are America’s greatest idea. Well Mr. Burns, I beg to differ. I think the Bill of Rights takes that prize. Don’t get me wrong, I love the national parks… and state parks… and neighborhood parks for that matter.

But if it were not for the Bill of Rights, and specifically the First Amendment, we wouldn’t be able to speak up for the parks, or form associations to protect them, or petition the government to create a new one, or report on their condition in the press. If it were not for the Fourth Amendment, we couldn’t sleep in our tent knowing that rodents may come in without a warrant, but the park rangers can’t. Or that a bear may search our car on a hunch, but an officer needs something more—probable cause.

I can now hear the raging debate this letter has created. I have angered my environmentalist friends who will insist that without air, there is no speech.

I still love the parks. And I still have pride in my heritage. But I stand my ground. America’s greatest idea is our protection of just that, our ability to formulate and communicate our ideas.

Abdi Soltani is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Northern California.