Barry Clemons’ July 10 letter accused Editor Walker of engaging in sophistry by only printing letters from “… a select group of writers who seem to be Marxist apologists.”

Mr. Clemons letter is ironic because many of his quasi-plausible arguments are based on totally false premises — in other words, sophistry. However, I’m inclined to forgive him because I doubt his sophistry was by intent, but some of his factual errors should be identified.

First: The law of our land is the Constitution, not the Bible, Torah, or Qur’an. The writers of the Constitution intentionally left God out of the document for two reasons: the first was our religious plurality and secondly, as 18th century Englishmen, they well understood the problems and dangers inherent in giving churches a place in government. Hence, the First Amendment protects us from state-sanctioned religion as well as protects us from state interference in our religious practices. Wise men indeed.

Second: The fall of the Western Roman Empire did not occur because it “… succumbed to its secular determination.” Rome went into decline in the 4th and 5th centuries for many reasons: barbarian invasions, a size which made it ungovernable, corruption at the very top (20 emperors in 75 years and most dying by the hand of their successors). Finally, over-reliance on slave labor led to a decline of the yeoman, artisans, and mechanics who made up the Roman middle class, and that class virtually disappeared. (Does that not sound like “outsourcing” and “income inequality”?)

As to secularism, the Empire’s end came a century after Christianity became the official state religion.

The final error is the Alexander Tyler quotation  about the stages a nation goes through from rise to fall. Tyler (or Tytler) was a real professor at the University of Edinburgh and the author of many books, but he never wrote the quoted passage nor a book about the fall of the Athenian Republic. In fact, no scholar ever wrote such a book because there never was an Athenian Republic. Rome was a republic but Athens was a democracy.

I would suggest Mr. Clemons use a service like snopes.com before citing anymore right-wing urban myths. Falsehoods repeated thousands of times are not any more valid than when first uttered.

Tom DeBor
Poulsbo