text: My Ten Cents: It's interesting how conservative mythology has mutated the rationally inspired U.S. Constitution, which emerged during what is often called the American Enlightenment, into an often rigidly dogmatic screed. Whether it's religionists, who somehow believe the document is a sacred Christian text (one study suggested that a significant proportion of Americans believe this), or "constructionists" who believe they can conveniently divine the intent of the "founders" to, among other things, justify the incarceration and even execution of convicted people who as a result of newly available evidence are known to be innocent, the U.S. Constitution has in too many cases become a dangerous thing under the rule of conservative ideology. The founders of the American union would no doubt shudder at what is now justified under the guise of their direction.