Pubdate: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 Date: 04/19/2000 Source: Washington Times (DC) Author: Anthony Passaniti Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n508/a05.html Sherry Hearn's story, as told by Nat Hentoff, is worthy of a tale of terror by Stephen King ("Teacher defends constitutional rights," Sweet Land of Liberty, Op-Ed, April 10). So many of us have forgotten that our rights were not written into the Constitution by the Founders, who made a point by their resistance to the Bill of Rights. Many of the Founders believed that our rights were granted by the Creator and could not be listed so easily. The Constitution was written as a restricting document against the federal government. Whatever power was not granted to the federal government remained with the people. We, the people, formed our government, granting it some of our rights. We must not forget that the power remains with us, or we will find ourselves with the horror of an absolute government that believes itself to be our creator instead of our creation. Beware of the chant: The government giveth, and the government taketh away. Blessed be the name of the government. ANTHONY PASSANITI, San Antonio