Editor:

My, my Mr. (Cipriano) Perez. Your letter (published Nov. 18) addressing the Tea Party participants and whether they are patriots is amusing. It seems that people who want to uphold the Constitution really get under the liberals’ and Democrats’ skin. Could it be because they have struck a nerve? However, I believe there exists a larger issue here, since Mr. Perez brings it up.

Samuel Adams wrote, “But neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt” (Life of Samuel Adams, 1:22). He proceeded to state that public officials should not be elected if they are lacking in experience, training, proven virtue and demonstrated wisdom.

James Madison wrote, “The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny” (Federalist Papers, Number 47). He also wrote of a republic, “It is essential in such a government that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion or a favored class of it…” (Federalist Papers, Number 39).

Mr. Perez brought up the issue of the definition of a patriot as one who supports one’s country. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “a person who vigorously supports one’s country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors.” However, another term needs to be defined. The term loyalist is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as “a person who remains loyal to the established ruler or government.”

It seems to me we are at a juncture in this country where the legislative and executive are in the hands of one party. If one of the more conservative Supreme Court justices is replaced with a Ginsberg or Sotomayor, then the three branches will be Democratic or liberal, which according to Adams, is tyranny.

At the founding of our country there were patriots and there were loyalists. It is my opinion that the Tea Party participants are patriots because they love their country as do I and will do what it takes to support and defend it. However, all of the Democrats ­— with special attention to (U.S. Rep. Ruben) Hinojosa, who appears to be a loyalist ­— are there to support and defend their party and the current government.

Carlos L. Lopez