Evening star., 1961-06-04
Sunday Blue Lows


It appears that religious
intolerance is not completely
a thing Of the past as long
as many Of our Sunday blue
laws remain in existence.
The excuse given in court
cases that such laws are
meant to provide a restful
atmosphere seems rather
weak. With the exception Of
noisy construction work and
such, ! fail to see how the
operating Of businesses on
Sunday can disrupt q restful
atmosphere, since the opera
ton Of retail stores and most
other businesses makes little
noise. II some are disturbed
by the sight Of others doing
business on Sunday, they can
look the other way and re-
member that not everybody
in America has the same
religious beliefs.
Judging from the opinions
and letters to the editor
which I hear and read oc-
casionally. the real purpose
Of blue laws Is to close busi-
nesses on Gods day" The
belief that Sunday should be
a special day Of worship and
rest Is q religious belief. Ger
tainly people should live by
their religious beliefs, but to
force others to live by the
same beliefs by allowing laws
obviously religious in nature
to remain Is intolerant, out
Of place in q free society, and
morally wrong.
Andrew c. Teter.
Let US note carefully that
the Supreme Court almost in
variably supports Govern
ment authority over individ-
ual rights. unless the individ-
ual happens to be a Commu-
mist.
The latest decision is an
other such example. Because
Of a CUSTOM" because peo-
pie tend to take life easy on
Sunday, 1t becomes illegal
for an orthodox Jew to sell
floor wax to an atheist on a
day neither cares to take
off. This is another nail in
freedoms coffin.
Our real danger is not
Russia, but the Warren
Court" Soon we will be mere
puppets in, the hands of
Government authority.
The States are wrong to
pass such laws. Government
has no right to interfere with
peaceful activity merely be-
cause many people take a day
OF while the activity is going
on. AS for common knowl-
edge" we all know there is a
religious connotation. Re-
hgion cannot be legislated-
1t must come from the heart.
And some religions do not
observe Sunday as a holiday.
II. Paul Murray
Your editorial, Sunday
Closing Laws" struck a tell
ing blow for religious liberty,
and separation Of church
and. state, and against the
recent infamous decision of
the Supreme Court with ref
erence to blue laws in Mas
sachusettS, Pennsylvania and
Maryland, unwittingly, to be
sure, but none the less de-
cisively. For you started out
to commend the courts ac-
ton and wound up witt. this
mealy-mouthed sentence:
The answer of the court,
however, seems to be that
some people are hit harder
than others by Sunday clos
ing laws and there's nothing
1t can do about that"
Correction. There is every
thing the court can do about
that. For one thing. the court
can stop trying to tell the
rest Of us where to head in
IN such matters as when to
work and when to rest and
when to stage this great new
"togetherlineSs" crusade
which these blue laws are
said by the socializers to
be designed to promote.
OF course, all this is very
much in character" for this
court SO supreme" in sub
stituting the foreign import
cerebrations Of Gunnar Myr-
dal and other sociologists for
the law Of the land in impos-
ing their new look on this
grand old Republic. That is
to say that the court which
would attempt to strike down
the Tenth Amendment in
1854 could well be expected
. = o - =