Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Why #Adhering to the #US #Constitution is So #Important for all the #Dummies
Like the country itself, the Federal Government of the United States is polarized between the Democrats and the Republicans. This division is on full display right now during the Impeachment process against President Trump. This essay is not going to be about Trump, one of the worst, most corrupt presidents in our nation's short history (emphasis on short - around 230 years so far). This blog entry is going to be about one of the greatest secular documents ever written - our US Constitution.
The true genius of this federation of states is the Constitution's checks and balances system with three co-equal (emphasis on equal) branches of government, the executive (president & cabinet), the Legislative (Senate & Congress) and the Judicial (Supreme and lower courts). This brilliant checks and balances system ensures that no one is absolute ruler and no one is above the law (emphasis on No One) and allows for a thorough vetting legal process of all issues that arise in running a big and diverse country.
Our Constitution has other brilliant aspects such as the Bill of Rights that firstly ensures our basic and cherished, yet often taken for granted freedoms such as freedom of speech, religion, right to protest and several of the top 10 guarantee our right to a day in court with free legal representation and a jury of our peers - innocent until proven guilty. Of course there is the 2nd amendment that says gun ownership shall not infringed upon (whether or not this meant military style weapons is a big issue right now based on mass gun shootings/slaughters around the country for decades). And whatever is not covered in the Constitution the 10th amendment allows any state to determine/create their own laws until a time arises when they are deemed wrong and taken to the courts for whatever reasons.
Another brilliant element of the US Constitution is it's ability to evolve via new amendments. There has been 17 amendments added since the original big 10 in 1789. These include the rights of black people and women to be full, equal citizens with the right to vote in fair and open elections. Nonetheless, it's very hard to get an amendment passed because it takes two thirds of both houses of congress as well as being ratified by three fourths of the 50 states legislatures. Only once in our US history has an amendment been repealed - that was the Prohibition of drinking alcoholic beverages in the 1920s and early 1930s.
There are many conservative citizens who claim to be Originalists, thus interpreting the Constitution through a fixed and static lens based on the time period it was written in. But this perspective is often a cover for conservative ideology that runs counter to how the progressive, hyper intelligent founders brilliantly set up the Constitution with the transforming ability to add new amendments/laws and therefore adapt and evolve as a healthy state moving forward in time.
Finally, Democracy itself ties into the sacred nature of the US Constitution (France's own was modeled after ours as are many other nations around the world). The bottom line is the first line of the document that declares, "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." We the people - pick and choose our leaders through a democratic process and they work for us, the US citizens who pay their salaries via our taxes.
Our Democracy is still not as great as could be and needs major fixing but it is still sacred and is what millions of patriotic citizens have died for via many conflicts all over the world and right here on North American soil - regardless of whether you or I agree or disagree with the wars themselves. The ultimate sacrifice was made and they should be honored by honoring our Constitution aka Rule of law.
The freedoms, mostly safe conditions (infrastructure), justice system (needs major fixing as well) and our fragile Democracy itself is now at risk because corrupt President Trump, backed by the Republican leaders in particular are not adhering to the laws established in the Constitution! The list is growing but first there was obstruction of justice as revealed in the Mueller report about real interference into our elections by the Russians and Trump's cronies ties and subsequent arrests and jailing for various crimes. Then there are the constant ongoing emoluments clause violations by the entire Trump family making tons of money off of foreign and domestic leaders etc. and most recently the whole Ukraine affair where Trump seemingly tried to bribe the new leader into investigating his 2020 presidential political opponent Joe Biden and his son, which has lead to the current impeachment proceedings.
All of these illegal transgressions by the president and his cronies should be taken very seriously by every American citizen who cares about our country and the Rule of Law where no one is above the law - including the president! Otherwise our country is doomed and it will not be pretty. It will really suck and therefore all must do what they can to make sure justice prevails. What can an average citizen do? Well Voting is important and calling and writing to your reps in government and when necessary get out in the streets, protest and demand justice and adherence to our sacred and secular document - The US Constitution! Our Democracy and government are not immune to what has ruined every other great nation in history - greed and corruption of the leaders and lazy apathy of the citizenry. Therefore - wake up and do something to insure our survival as a Democracy facing a crisis of legitimacy - before it's too late! God Bless America!
The true genius of this federation of states is the Constitution's checks and balances system with three co-equal (emphasis on equal) branches of government, the executive (president & cabinet), the Legislative (Senate & Congress) and the Judicial (Supreme and lower courts). This brilliant checks and balances system ensures that no one is absolute ruler and no one is above the law (emphasis on No One) and allows for a thorough vetting legal process of all issues that arise in running a big and diverse country.
Our Constitution has other brilliant aspects such as the Bill of Rights that firstly ensures our basic and cherished, yet often taken for granted freedoms such as freedom of speech, religion, right to protest and several of the top 10 guarantee our right to a day in court with free legal representation and a jury of our peers - innocent until proven guilty. Of course there is the 2nd amendment that says gun ownership shall not infringed upon (whether or not this meant military style weapons is a big issue right now based on mass gun shootings/slaughters around the country for decades). And whatever is not covered in the Constitution the 10th amendment allows any state to determine/create their own laws until a time arises when they are deemed wrong and taken to the courts for whatever reasons.
Another brilliant element of the US Constitution is it's ability to evolve via new amendments. There has been 17 amendments added since the original big 10 in 1789. These include the rights of black people and women to be full, equal citizens with the right to vote in fair and open elections. Nonetheless, it's very hard to get an amendment passed because it takes two thirds of both houses of congress as well as being ratified by three fourths of the 50 states legislatures. Only once in our US history has an amendment been repealed - that was the Prohibition of drinking alcoholic beverages in the 1920s and early 1930s.
There are many conservative citizens who claim to be Originalists, thus interpreting the Constitution through a fixed and static lens based on the time period it was written in. But this perspective is often a cover for conservative ideology that runs counter to how the progressive, hyper intelligent founders brilliantly set up the Constitution with the transforming ability to add new amendments/laws and therefore adapt and evolve as a healthy state moving forward in time.
Finally, Democracy itself ties into the sacred nature of the US Constitution (France's own was modeled after ours as are many other nations around the world). The bottom line is the first line of the document that declares, "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." We the people - pick and choose our leaders through a democratic process and they work for us, the US citizens who pay their salaries via our taxes.
Our Democracy is still not as great as could be and needs major fixing but it is still sacred and is what millions of patriotic citizens have died for via many conflicts all over the world and right here on North American soil - regardless of whether you or I agree or disagree with the wars themselves. The ultimate sacrifice was made and they should be honored by honoring our Constitution aka Rule of law.
The freedoms, mostly safe conditions (infrastructure), justice system (needs major fixing as well) and our fragile Democracy itself is now at risk because corrupt President Trump, backed by the Republican leaders in particular are not adhering to the laws established in the Constitution! The list is growing but first there was obstruction of justice as revealed in the Mueller report about real interference into our elections by the Russians and Trump's cronies ties and subsequent arrests and jailing for various crimes. Then there are the constant ongoing emoluments clause violations by the entire Trump family making tons of money off of foreign and domestic leaders etc. and most recently the whole Ukraine affair where Trump seemingly tried to bribe the new leader into investigating his 2020 presidential political opponent Joe Biden and his son, which has lead to the current impeachment proceedings.
All of these illegal transgressions by the president and his cronies should be taken very seriously by every American citizen who cares about our country and the Rule of Law where no one is above the law - including the president! Otherwise our country is doomed and it will not be pretty. It will really suck and therefore all must do what they can to make sure justice prevails. What can an average citizen do? Well Voting is important and calling and writing to your reps in government and when necessary get out in the streets, protest and demand justice and adherence to our sacred and secular document - The US Constitution! Our Democracy and government are not immune to what has ruined every other great nation in history - greed and corruption of the leaders and lazy apathy of the citizenry. Therefore - wake up and do something to insure our survival as a Democracy facing a crisis of legitimacy - before it's too late! God Bless America!
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)