The preamble to the Constitution reads:
"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."
So, how’s that working out now, 236 years after the representatives to the Constitutional Convention slapped each other on the back and went home? Let's see ...
“Form a More Perfect Union.” We survived the Civil War more or less intact, but the union today is being torn apart by political passions inflamed by the power-mad, the ultra-wealthy, and the religion-blinded. At a time when the nation faces huge problems and perils at home and abroad, Congress is driven by an angry and vengeful president to force an agenda that most of his supporters don't fully understand and probably wouldn't support if they did. The Blue and Gray states of antebellum America have given way to the Blue and Red states of modern America, aided by relentless gerrymandering of Congressional districts to ensure control by a particular party, rather than by the people to be represented.
“Establish Justice.” We have a larger proportion of our population in prison than any other nation. The degree and quality of justice one can expect is directly proportional to one’s ability to hire the largest number of the most expensive, most aggressive, most experienced, and least principled attorneys. If you are black, brown, or poor, good luck. And whether or not you agree with the freedoms once granted by the
Roe v. Wade and
Planned Parenthood v. Casey decisions, consider that a strongly conservative Supreme Court ignored 50 years of precedent and - for the first time - used the
Dobbs decision to
remove a freedom we thought was guaranteed under the Constitution. And as if that weren't enough, consider that Justice Clarence Thomas went out of his way to write that the Supreme Court “should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including
Griswold [which removed legal barriers to contraception],
Lawrence [which guaranteed the right of privacy in sexual intimacy between consenting adults], and
Obergefell [which required states to allow same-sex marriages and recognize those from other states]” - three cases dealing with Americans’ fundamental rights to privacy, due process and equal protection under the law. And we haven't even talked about Der Furor's open defiance of the law. If you don't think justice is going backward, you're not paying attention.
“Insure Domestic Tranquility.” You might believe that the storming of the US Capitol by a howling mob of Der Furor's supporters on January 6th, 2021, was a one-time thing, but I wouldn’t bet on it. When a large portion of the population is fired up by a relentlessly authoritarian president and his cowed Congressional supporters, Fox News, OAN, and Newsmax, and believes its political opposition is nothing more than Satan-worshiping radical left libtards and pedophiles hell-bent on destroying the nation, domestic tranquility is most assuredly not insured.
“Provide for the Common Defence.” We have the most powerful military on Earth to protect us from external threats. Within our borders, however, we remain under threat from each other, exacerbated by a constitutional amendment that has made us the most heavily-armed citizens in the world, and animated by a belief that personal defense and individual rights trump all other rights and responsibilities. When angry militias are training in the wilderness, storming the Capitol, openly advocating violence against the government and their political opponents, and openly threatening elected officials and other public servants, providing for the common defense takes on a different meaning.
“Promote the General Welfare.” Unless the general welfare runs contrary to the interests of big business and the wealthy, that is. Der Furor's GOP is working hard to do away with what it disparagingly call the “deep state” that ensures your welfare ... that you have safe drugs, wholesome food, reliable products, a stable (more or less) economy, safe working spaces, drinkable water, and breathable air. Good luck with all those as federal agencies are stripped of the regulatory powers that have kept you safe and healthy in the fever dream of Republican fury at the "nanny state" and its "job-killing regulations."
“Secure the Blessings of Liberty.” Many people nowadays interpret “liberty” as meaning “my personal liberty," rather than "our shared liberty.”
The Declaration of Independence speaks of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as "unalienable rights," but your right to those things has become secondary to the perceived rights of those who want to do whatever they want, wherever they want, whenever they want, to anyone they choose. Our rights aren't unalienable after all ... just ask Clarence Thomas or Samuel Alito.
As a brand new Air Force Second Lieutenant in June of 1973, I swore this oath:
“I, Bilbo, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
I swore my oath to the Constitution ... not to any individual. I swore my oath to an idea and a set of fundamental principles, not to a president, king, or dictator, and not to a pope, imam, rabbi, or patriarch.
Our poor, battered Constitution has served us pretty well for the last 236 years, but it's showing its weaknesses - not the least of which is how easily it can be subverted by those bold and wicked enough to openly ignore it or interpret its meaning in new and unsettling - when not blatantly illegal - ways. The weaknesses of the Constitution are, I believe, caused by the fact that its framers were honorable men who did not foresee the willingness of other evil and unscrupulous actors to undermine the government for which the founding generation had fought and died.
So, how's the Constitution working out for you? If you're smart, you won't take its words of freedom and justice for granted. You'll support political leaders who uphold the grand words of the Preamble to the Constitution, who will work for all Americans, not just those of the preferred color (white), sex (male), or religion ("Christian"*).
In the (paraphrased) words of former CNN anchor Jim Acosta, do not give in to the lies, and do not give in to the fear. Your country's future depends on it.
Have a good day. More thoughts coming.
Bilbo
* It should be noted that most present-day "Christians" have only the most nodding of relationships with the actual teachings of Christ.
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