Reflections of Me : It's Constitution Day!
Yes, today -- September 17 2018 -- is Constitution Day.
I guess my first thought on this would be : why does our Constitution need a Day? Isn't it -- well -- EVERY day? But, all right, it has been 231 years since it was written. A wee smidgeon of time in relation to World History and associated historic, life-changing documents. Still counts, however. Counts big time.
In addition, how many of us in America today -- actual citizens of the United States -- know much about it? We know ( or think we do ) the Preamble. Used to have to memorize it in school. I did. Can I recite it from memory today?
Not if my life depended upon it.
All right, then : how many Articles are there? Without cheating, now. (I'd have to. ) I know there are two for sure. Three? Six? Nine? I am not talking about the Amendments -- that is a whole new ball game there. Just, the original Constitution. What does it say, what does it do, and how much of it is 'open to interpretation'? Well, I am here to confess : off top of my head, I have no clue anymore. So, I am going to cheat, and look it up. Ah, the wonders of the Internet!
All righty, then. There are seven Articles, divided up into numerous sections. What these Articles do is establish the various branches of the Federal Government, what the offices are, how they are elected and/or appointed, and the processes used to establish them. It was last revised in 1992. Who knew? It also establishes how any revisions to the original can be made, by the way.
It is NOT open to interpretation. It is actually quite clear and concise.
The Articles are preceded by the Preamble. That, my friends, IS open to interpretation, especially by those whose offices are established within the Articles. Let us take a look at that, shall we?
" 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. "
OK, here we go. And, yes, you are about to read MY interpretation of what the Preamble could, and to my mind should, mean.
" Establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility " ; I see these as going hand in hand. To me, they say that one responsibility of the Federal Government is to establish a set of laws and courts which will, if properly staffed, see that all citizens will be granted the right of peaceful living and be free from unjust actions by others. That any such laws will be made to ensure that all citizens can be expected to easily and reasonably obey them and if unjustly accused have the right to fair and impartial adjudication. Domestic Tranquility.
" provide for the common defence " ; seems pretty clear. That the Federal Government will responsibly provide such military avenues as are required to provide for the common defence ( or, defense, for us modern spell checkers ). Note that nothing is said about any common offense ; just defense. Obviously, these requirements would change over time, and the creators of the document indeed provided for such necessary changes.
" promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity " ; in my mind, this is where the vision and foresight of these men really shines. They did not plan on this being a short-lived Republic, instead envisioning a future for this Nation that, at the time, they had no reason to expect would happen. They knew the future was cloudy at best, but they wanted this Nation, at it's core, to have the sort of government ( established by the Articles which followed ) that would see to it that all of it's citizens were to be provided equal footing, equal opportunity, and to have the best general care of any Nation's citizens, while still keeping the basic rights and benefits a free person can have. It is here, more than anywhere else, where one can interpret to one's content.
Which I, of course, shall.
First, I have to approach this as if I were a lawmaker. Now, don't panic ; no, I am not running for any public office. Heck, I can't run anymore. I can barely walk for anything, let alone a office. So, no, you didn't start out reading a old man's blog and wind up in a horror film. Although -- it might be fun to be in a horror film. Similar to public office, but doesn't pay as well, sadly. Anyway, no leaping to conclusions. Besides, leaping can be dangerous : what if you under-leap, or, over-leap? You could end up in a leaper colony. No fun, that, particularly if you wear a hat. You could lose it 4 times in the first 5 minutes.
So, as a lawmaker, my first and most paramount duty is to propose or vote on measures that would, as the Preamble states, 'promote the general Welfare'. This would seem to make one thing clear. The general Welfare refers to the entire Nation, not just the State where I originate. No matter what my most wealthy supporters might want in return for their support. So, what sort of things would promote the general Welfare of all the States? As I see it, something that would be beneficial to all citizens, not just those in particular sections of the Nation, but also things that would not interfere with the Blessings of Liberty. ( Some might question the blessings part--but that is for a separate discussion! ).
I would classify these with some priority. They would be environmental ; clean air, clean water, maintaining clean and fertile lands and clean and natural landscapes. Then, safe, reliable means of transporting citizens to or across those areas, and the opportunity to settle in areas that will support life and promote health and allow the pursuit of happiness. Providing safe and unrestricted travel between and within States ; in other words, infrastructure. Safe and peaceful means of public transportation, be it via horse, train, vehicle, or air. Allowing free and fair trade between States, that residents of one State might enjoy the bounties of another without fear of affordability or unreasonable taxation. Safe and equitable means of obtaining public education, regardless of background or origins, and having the best of teaching materials and those to teach. These would seem, to me, to be my top goals as a lawmaker.
I might add to it, the equitable and fair means to the best and latest in health care, regardless of one's financial means or location.
As to what might be best for my particular area of the Nation, that I would leave to my State's local lawmakers and executives, who should be in a better position to know their districts' unique needs, as long as nothing they do conflicts with the tenets of the Nation's Constitution. In some case, they may be able to improve on what we, at the Federal level, do. I would watch that, too ; and if possible, try to incorporate it into my own office. Each State has it's own unique distinctions, but the one constant is the people. They are all United States citizens and residents, and entitled to equal protection and opportunity under the auspices of the Federal legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Whether that be income equality, education equality, access to jobs, food, water, shelter, health care, clean air, transportation, public utilities, and supportive landscapes. Equal opportunity, in other words, to pursue each one's own level of happiness.
Just these few things would be a job and a half. More, perhaps. But letting the Preamble act as a guide and remaining loyal to the spirit of it's words makes -- or, should make -- the job itself that much easier. Regardless of who occupies each and every seat in the Federal governmental structure. Maybe some consider that Utopia. Due consideration, then, should be given to the men who created this document ; Utopia may have been what they were indeed striving for. Using the Constitution as guide in the last 231 years, we have flirted with it ; we have never reached it. Being what Utopia is defined as, it should not be possible that we ever will.
Does not mean we should quit trying. Hope you had a great Constitution Day!
I guess my first thought on this would be : why does our Constitution need a Day? Isn't it -- well -- EVERY day? But, all right, it has been 231 years since it was written. A wee smidgeon of time in relation to World History and associated historic, life-changing documents. Still counts, however. Counts big time.
In addition, how many of us in America today -- actual citizens of the United States -- know much about it? We know ( or think we do ) the Preamble. Used to have to memorize it in school. I did. Can I recite it from memory today?
Not if my life depended upon it.
All right, then : how many Articles are there? Without cheating, now. (I'd have to. ) I know there are two for sure. Three? Six? Nine? I am not talking about the Amendments -- that is a whole new ball game there. Just, the original Constitution. What does it say, what does it do, and how much of it is 'open to interpretation'? Well, I am here to confess : off top of my head, I have no clue anymore. So, I am going to cheat, and look it up. Ah, the wonders of the Internet!
All righty, then. There are seven Articles, divided up into numerous sections. What these Articles do is establish the various branches of the Federal Government, what the offices are, how they are elected and/or appointed, and the processes used to establish them. It was last revised in 1992. Who knew? It also establishes how any revisions to the original can be made, by the way.
It is NOT open to interpretation. It is actually quite clear and concise.
The Articles are preceded by the Preamble. That, my friends, IS open to interpretation, especially by those whose offices are established within the Articles. Let us take a look at that, shall we?
" 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. "
OK, here we go. And, yes, you are about to read MY interpretation of what the Preamble could, and to my mind should, mean.
" Establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility " ; I see these as going hand in hand. To me, they say that one responsibility of the Federal Government is to establish a set of laws and courts which will, if properly staffed, see that all citizens will be granted the right of peaceful living and be free from unjust actions by others. That any such laws will be made to ensure that all citizens can be expected to easily and reasonably obey them and if unjustly accused have the right to fair and impartial adjudication. Domestic Tranquility.
" provide for the common defence " ; seems pretty clear. That the Federal Government will responsibly provide such military avenues as are required to provide for the common defence ( or, defense, for us modern spell checkers ). Note that nothing is said about any common offense ; just defense. Obviously, these requirements would change over time, and the creators of the document indeed provided for such necessary changes.
" promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity " ; in my mind, this is where the vision and foresight of these men really shines. They did not plan on this being a short-lived Republic, instead envisioning a future for this Nation that, at the time, they had no reason to expect would happen. They knew the future was cloudy at best, but they wanted this Nation, at it's core, to have the sort of government ( established by the Articles which followed ) that would see to it that all of it's citizens were to be provided equal footing, equal opportunity, and to have the best general care of any Nation's citizens, while still keeping the basic rights and benefits a free person can have. It is here, more than anywhere else, where one can interpret to one's content.
Which I, of course, shall.
First, I have to approach this as if I were a lawmaker. Now, don't panic ; no, I am not running for any public office. Heck, I can't run anymore. I can barely walk for anything, let alone a office. So, no, you didn't start out reading a old man's blog and wind up in a horror film. Although -- it might be fun to be in a horror film. Similar to public office, but doesn't pay as well, sadly. Anyway, no leaping to conclusions. Besides, leaping can be dangerous : what if you under-leap, or, over-leap? You could end up in a leaper colony. No fun, that, particularly if you wear a hat. You could lose it 4 times in the first 5 minutes.
So, as a lawmaker, my first and most paramount duty is to propose or vote on measures that would, as the Preamble states, 'promote the general Welfare'. This would seem to make one thing clear. The general Welfare refers to the entire Nation, not just the State where I originate. No matter what my most wealthy supporters might want in return for their support. So, what sort of things would promote the general Welfare of all the States? As I see it, something that would be beneficial to all citizens, not just those in particular sections of the Nation, but also things that would not interfere with the Blessings of Liberty. ( Some might question the blessings part--but that is for a separate discussion! ).
I would classify these with some priority. They would be environmental ; clean air, clean water, maintaining clean and fertile lands and clean and natural landscapes. Then, safe, reliable means of transporting citizens to or across those areas, and the opportunity to settle in areas that will support life and promote health and allow the pursuit of happiness. Providing safe and unrestricted travel between and within States ; in other words, infrastructure. Safe and peaceful means of public transportation, be it via horse, train, vehicle, or air. Allowing free and fair trade between States, that residents of one State might enjoy the bounties of another without fear of affordability or unreasonable taxation. Safe and equitable means of obtaining public education, regardless of background or origins, and having the best of teaching materials and those to teach. These would seem, to me, to be my top goals as a lawmaker.
I might add to it, the equitable and fair means to the best and latest in health care, regardless of one's financial means or location.
As to what might be best for my particular area of the Nation, that I would leave to my State's local lawmakers and executives, who should be in a better position to know their districts' unique needs, as long as nothing they do conflicts with the tenets of the Nation's Constitution. In some case, they may be able to improve on what we, at the Federal level, do. I would watch that, too ; and if possible, try to incorporate it into my own office. Each State has it's own unique distinctions, but the one constant is the people. They are all United States citizens and residents, and entitled to equal protection and opportunity under the auspices of the Federal legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Whether that be income equality, education equality, access to jobs, food, water, shelter, health care, clean air, transportation, public utilities, and supportive landscapes. Equal opportunity, in other words, to pursue each one's own level of happiness.
Just these few things would be a job and a half. More, perhaps. But letting the Preamble act as a guide and remaining loyal to the spirit of it's words makes -- or, should make -- the job itself that much easier. Regardless of who occupies each and every seat in the Federal governmental structure. Maybe some consider that Utopia. Due consideration, then, should be given to the men who created this document ; Utopia may have been what they were indeed striving for. Using the Constitution as guide in the last 231 years, we have flirted with it ; we have never reached it. Being what Utopia is defined as, it should not be possible that we ever will.
Does not mean we should quit trying. Hope you had a great Constitution Day!
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