My daughters' Social Studies homework assignment over the holidays, was to memorize the preamble to the Constitution. As she repeated this over and over, it dawned on me how powerful those 50 or so words were. Simple, elegant words, that passionately highlight the amazing vision our founders set forth. These goals are not only compatible with the goals of the Democratic party, they articulate a dynamic, progressive mission statement.
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. "
The next time a Republican asks where it is written that we should provide health care to all, tell him it is in the constitution. What better way to "promote the general welfare", than to make sure we are able to preserve our heath. The same thing applies to a living minimum wage, a solvent and protected Social Security system, and making sure we have a pollution free environment.
Justice, should mean all Americans live by the law. The privileged, (or members of congress) should not be exempt. Nor should our corporate citizens be allowed to ignore the welfare of citizens, by rushing unproven drugs to market, so they may maximize profit.
The blessings of liberty protect all of us from unreasonable searches. Using fear of terrorism as a method of weakening our resolve when it comes to protecting our liberties, is unconscionable. Yes, we live in dangerous times, but allowing people to be imprisoned indefinitely, without due process is not an American value.
A strong common defense is provided by a leader with the vision and understanding to know America's place in the world community. Promoting Democracy throughout the world can be a good thing. It must, however, be part of a consistent message to the international community. We cannot support a dictator in one part of the world, while deciding to militarily topple another, who just happened to be on top of one of the worlds' largest oil supplies.
Our founders did not envision a government which only existed as an entity to protect us from outside enemies. They outlined what would be their dreams for America. Certainly some things needed changing (end of slavery, women's right to vote to name two). The basic guideline, however, is made clear right in that preamble. A country free enough to allow anyone to succeed, yet compassionate enough to provide for those less fortunate. A country able to protect its' shores, but not to build an empire.
The challenge in the years ahead, will be the ability to "secure the blessings of liberty". There has been a slow erosion of our liberty over the last two decades. The right-wing militia, uses every opportunity to turn current events into a drive to reduce our rights. Drug use a threat to corporate America's productivity, we all need to pee in a cup before we get a job. The terrorists strike on our shores, therefore we need to allow arrest, interrogation, and incarceration without due process. Certainly a changing world requires us to be more vigilant, however, we need to guard that this slow erosion does not turn into a massive mudslide.
I am proud to be an American. An American whose values are articulated so eloquently in those words written over 225 years ago. Those values have guided us for more than two centuries. I intend to do my small part in the fight to preserve them for my daughters' future, and the generations beyond.
