Happy Constitution Day!
Well, the poor old thing has had a rough eight years, but today is a moment to celebrate the spirit of the United States Constitution. Today is Constitution Day. The last time I was in Washington D.C., I stopped in to the National Archives to pay it a visit. An image of page 1 is now the wallpaper on my Blackberry. It reminds me of the very wise, forward-thinking, educated people who took such care creating a ‘rule book’ for what they hoped would be the greatest nation on Earth. That was 222 years ago.
A lot has happened since then, but the constitution still stands, and anyone sworn in to elected office still takes an oath to protect and defend it.
“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.”
Hey, wait just a minute…. (balling up fists and rubbing eyes) What’s that part there, right after “common defence?” It says “promote the general Welfare!” What’s THAT all about?
It is here that I’d like to wave over our conservative friends to have a seat in our little library. I’ve got a big old fat dusty looking dictionary open, and my glasses pushed down to the tip of my nose. Please, there are enough chairs for everyone…do sit.
I peer at the pages, running my finger over the yellowed sheets, and find the following definitions.
Promote - v. To contribute to the progress or growth of; further.
General – adj. Concerned with, applicable to, or affecting the whole or every member of a class or category.
Welfare – n. Health, happiness, and good fortune; well-being.
Hm. I look around at those seated at the table as I close the dictionary with a resounding thump and shove the glasses back up.
It would seem to me that the very document which you all claim to love and support, and whose “shredding” you seem to fear on a daily basis, and whose propositions you swear to uphold and obey with every fiber of your being says this:
We the people of the United States of America have established the constitution to do many things, one of which is to ensure that the government furthers the cause of promoting good health for every American. See, look right there: Further, health, everyone.
So when the government attempts to provide an option for all people to get government sponsored health care, it is not some liberal notion of a government takeover that’s going to shred your beloved constitution. It is a mandate. It is already written IN that document, which you secretly hope that nobody will actually read. Judging by the spelling and grammar displayed on the signs at most of the Teabag rallies, you have nothing to fear from your own followers.
But people who actually can read, and know how to use a dictionary, (presumably the Senate), know better. Max Baucus knows better, and every single Democratic Senator knows better too. So do the Republicans, but they are much more concerned with marching in lock step with one another, and patting each other on the back, and throwing sand in the gears of democracy than they are at acting to support the constitution on behalf of all the people. They would much rather break their crayons, and strategize about how to get power back at the expense of the lives of their constituents, and let Americans go without the ability to pay for their medical bills, or get the treatments they need. It really boils down to that.
General welfare means health for ALL. Not some. Not most. All.
Happy Constitution Day.
This is one to post and repost…. thanks, AKM.
Great post, AKM. Just have to say that when I went to a health care town hall meeting with the local Congressman, Eric Massa, and a former Marine asked him how the government even has the authority to intervene in health care issues, he took out his pocket-sized Constitution and quoted the exact section that says Congress can pass bills “promoting the general welfare.” Massa is a smart man, and seems to be principled, though I don’t agree with all his positions. He was one of the few Democrats who did not vote to admonish Joe Wilson.
How can we send this, your perfectly sane and learned “glasses pushed down to the tip of my nose” reasoning on to President Obama “In Person”?
Not to computers, not to persons who work somewhere in government, but to the President “In Person”?
Wish I knew, wish I had a magic wand to make it so…
Your reasoning is perfect for the “single payer” (spread the risk as widely as possible) solution, and yet, it will be ignored… at our peril, mind you.
AKM, you have my admiration!
@#2 Corning NY: ARRGH, my post just vanished. To reiterate:
That marine had some nerve: Depending upon length of service, he either has VA benefits as required, or he has Tricare For Life.
Of course, when challenged, he will state: We worked for it!
Granted, but immaterial to the Principles of the Constitution as pointed out by AKM.
Great post…and Happy Constitution Day to you all.
The Max Baucus dictionary
Welfare–noun
1. the good fortune, health, happiness, PROSPERITY, etc., of a person, group, or ORGANIZATION; well-being: to look after a child’s welfare; the physical or moral welfare of society.
It’s quite simple: a politician (aka your Government) takes care of the “prosperity of an organization”, say, a very profitable insurance company, and said organization, in turn, takes care of “the good fortune, health, prosperity, etc.” of the aforementioned politician.
Almost everybody wins!
What’s going on with those founding fathers? Were they some kind of communistic socialist facist types? they never should have put something like that in the Constitution. I’m surprised they weren’t teabagged.
Alert Action Now: Howard Dean, Howard Dean
http://gov-howard-dean-md.dailykos.com/
Sorry mudppies,
I am off topic a little bit. Please take a look at Howard Dean reporting at Dkos about health care. He wrote a thread and asking for our support. Go there and check if your Rep is voting yes to the public Option.
Click the link. There are instructions there. Please do the needful
http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/9/17/783419/-America-Cant-Wait
It was so important to the Founderes, it even went in the original document. Unfortunately, that means it didn’t end up in the Bill of “Rights”, so according to wingnut logic, it can’t be one. *sigh*
fromthediagonal–Hm, wonder if anyone can get to the Alaskan working in the WH to pass this along…
I want to see this plastered all over the internet. Great post!!!!!!
I can never read those words without the tune from ‘School House Rock’ playing in the back of my mind…
And yes, I’m fully aware that I just dated myself! (“Hi, my name is Mona, and I’m Generation Jones!”)
How much you wanna bet they’ll say that it’s not in the Constitution, ‘cuz it’s ‘only’ the preamble .’. it doesn’t count!
This needs to be shouted from the rooftops.
Emailed to all the people in the Senate and the House.
AKM… You go girl !
Oh AKM!! I love this post, beautifully done. Thank you (o:
If you didn’t see the HBO special last year titled “John Adams” run, don’t walk to NetFlix. It details the efforts of the Founding Fathers to think this up, think this through, fight the war against Britain, deal with their differences and make it work. Civility ruled and compromise was the order of the day. With a few exceptions but they got worked out.
I find myself saying very often in normal conversation, “I don’t think the Founding Fathers had this in mind when they wrote that document.” But they wrote it in a way that was adaptable. (They imagined a Navy but how could they envision an Air Force)
Lots of things are crazy right now. But they have happened before. Often before. We have to stand fast. A whole bunch of white guys got together in Philadelphia and plotted an amazing course of an idea for a new country. God Bless Them.
The mosaic is different but the principles are the same. We can make this work. We have to make this work.
Good job. It’s up to us to carry it on.
Maybe its time for Liberals to get mad!! Did not Jesus get angry at the Moneychangers? I do believe if enough were to unite change COULD come. After all look at the power of the looney tunes…and only because they are united.
beautifully written…b
AKM – only you could state this so beautifully. Thank you. Now how do we get this to the Senators and Representatives?
Excellent.
Hip Hip Hooray!
Pop the corks and let the bubbly flow like a baptism font.
Let’s all sing Happy Birthday to out Constitution.
My first comment got knocked out of the box before i could enter it and then reopened in a box for the last article. My personal opinion computer think is screwer than Sarah think.
Here goes again.
Happy Constitution Day to All! Today, my sister and I auditioned for “Millionaire” at ABC Studios. I won’t reveal whom (I passed the audition, and would like to be on the show), but the “expert” on call was a prominent Repugnican. He got everything wrong (ok, maybe one right, don’t remember that, but will give him the benefit of the doubt). No help at all to those who called on him (had I been the contestant, I wouldn’t have asked for his help). AKM, I’ve been wondering the same thing: why can’t promoting the general welfare = affordable, competent healthcare for all? Health and peace.
AKM….what a great commentary! You did what you always do so wonderfully….went straight for the basic language and defined it perfectly. I only wish those who should read and look up these words would do so. Sadly, they will defer to their own misguided definitions of “welfare”.
Thank you for this community and a place a sanity in all this craziness.
(Love the visual of you pushing your glasses down your nose….LOL!)
Mona Lisa – Ha ha! I had to memorize the Preamble in 4th Grade. The only way I could get it straight was to sing it. Still know it to this day. Still have to sing it
LOL!!
This was so well-written – thank you AKM!! Now I’m off to DKos to read Howard Dean and contact my Congressmen.
Well done, AKM.
An excellent reference site that gives lots of info about our founders, their works, the times in which they lived, and even their music can be found
here –> http://www.earlyamerica.com
I exchanged a couple emails w/ the “curator” of this archive back when I first found it b/c I was so impressed w/ his work. He was gracious and very clear that his only agenda is Accuracy. Very refreshing.
I love the opening sentence, …”the poor old thing has had a rough eight years”…
Perfect.
Eight hell, I don’t see any serious changes to the distortions, violations, and attacks on the Constitution that have taken place since the change in administration. President Obama seems to claim all (ALL) of the imperial prerogatives asserted by the late and unlamented George Bush. Unlimited domestic spying, check. Fourth amendment still a joke, check. Massive spending on domestic programs that are hidden from Congress, check. Mindless war fever, check. Continued and ever escalating security hysteria to justify more databases, more loss of privacy, and more intrusions from unaccountable thugs, check, check, and check.
#25 @central texas
“President Obama seems to claim all (ALL) of the imperial prerogatives asserted by the late and unlamented George Bush. Unlimited domestic spying, check. Fourth amendment still a joke, check. Massive spending on domestic programs that are hidden from Congress, check. Mindless war fever, check. Continued and ever escalating security hysteria to justify more databases, more loss of privacy, and more intrusions from unaccountable thugs, check, check, and check.”
Site specifics please: who is being domestically spied upon? What domestic programs are being hidden from Congress? Mindless war fever – what does this mean? Continued and ever escalating security hysteria? “Fess up – you’ve been listening to Glen Beck, haven’t you? Loss of privacy and intrusions from unaccountable thugs – more Becking lies I think.
#25 @ central texas
Fourth Amendment – who is being subjected to unreasonable searches and seizures?
Thanks, AKM, for once again putting everything in proper perspective. And for the reminder that it is Constitution Day. When we were in the National Archives last October, I stood in awe to see those documents, written so long ago that still shape our government and our daily lives. We were fortunate, indeed, to have such intelligent and far-sighted framers of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Why is this post not on Huffington Post? It needs to be! AKM makes a serious argument couched in a funny anecdote–and it cuts straight to the heart of the matter: the republican party misrepresents the Constitution. Consistently.
Is there anyone left besides President Obama, Al Franken, (and AKM), who actually reads the constitution before spouting amendment infractions? Yep, I have a pocket constitution like Al’s, and I would never discuss it without referring to it for the facts. Nor would I attempt to ‘interpret’ any part of it. It is what it is. It’s not the bible, which is constantly being interpreted into a multitude of theories by the leaders in the religious community.
You go, LiladyNy!
AKM: you forgot one thing. When you waved our conservative friends to a seat in the library, you should have reminded them to check their weapons at the door.
Great post, as always. While there can be a legalistic argument about whether the Preamble is part of the enumerated powers, it undoubtedly expresses the spirit of the Founders. Else why did they bother to put it in there, eh?
The whole Constitution is a remarkable document, the more so since it was written in a world so different from today (I do wish they had inserted a few words about corporations, but they were so restricted then). But the Preamble is poetry.
Trivia: The Preamble is also what I guess you’d call the “punchline” to an early sci-fi novel by Isaac Asimov.
@ boodog: Doesn’t everyone have a pocket Constitution?
Most people conservative or liberal do not know what the constitution says. Most people have not read it nor the bill of rights. According to the following survey a majortiy of high school students in OK don’t even know who wrote it.
http://www.news9.com/global/story.asp?s=11141949
It is truly shocking to learn how ignorant people in the “greatest” country on earth are. And very sad.
strangelet, you’re just not stylin’ without one!
pearl89, I have also heard that some students don’t even know WHAT it is. I hope the president’s push for education really takes off, we need to overhaul the entire system.
One of your best essays yet, AKM! Fantastic!
The Preamble is only the introduction to the Constitution and does not give power to government, it also dose not limit action by government. It is view by courts as the Founding Fathers intentions, purposes and principles of the Constitution.
If it is obvious (as I think most of us would agree) that these were the intentions, purposes and principles of the founding of the nation, it would be nice if those that swore to uphold it didn’t use that arguement. When I tell my kids to put that cookie back in the cookie jar, it doesn’t mean, “then go raid the pantry.” It means they can’t have a snack, and that’s my intention and purpose and principle. The pantry raiding might hold up in a court of law because I didn’t specifically say “don’t raid the pantry” but we all know who’s on the winning side of that moral dispute. When people cite the founding fathers at the drop of a hat, I think it’s fair to grab them by the ears and make them read the preamble. If they hand’t wanted anyone to read it, they would have used white out.
AKM
If a state doesn’t include certain skills/knowledge in its standards, then it’s highly unlikely that it will get taught. I believe that here in CA a lesson is supposed to be done on Constitution Day. There’s no class–none, nada–on the Constitution or Declaration of Independence mandated in CA. Which means most naturalized citizens know more than most native borns.
FTM. Why would business want people to know their rights? And for too long, education has taken their cue on what to teach from business–if it’s good for GM, it’s good for the country.
Riiiiiight
This quotation is at the beginning of a book I am currently reading. Thomas Jefferson was a very wise man. I intend to memorize it.
“SOME MEN LOOK AT CONSTITUTIONS WITH SANCTIMONIOUS
REVERENCE, AND DEEM THEM, LIKE THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, TOO SACRED TO BE TOUCHED. THEY ASCRIBE TO THE MEN OF THE PRECEDING AGE A WISDOM MORE THAN HUMAN, AND SUPPOSE WHAT THEY DID TO BE BEYOND AMENDMENT….(L)AWS AND INSTITUTIONS MUST GO HAND IN HAND WITH THE PROGRESS OF THE HUMAN MIND. AS THAT BECOMES MORE DEVELOPED, MORE ENLIGHTENED, AS NEW DISCOVERIES ARE MADE, NEW TRUTHS DISCLOSED, AND MANNERS AND OPINIONS CHANGE WITH THE CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES, INSTITUTIONS MUST ADVANCE ALSO, AND KEEP PACE WITH THE TIMES. We MIGHT AS WELL REQUIRE A MAN WEAR STILL THE COAT WHICH FITTED HIM WHEN A BOY AS CIVILIZED SOCIETY TO REMAIN EVER UNDER THE REGIMEN OF THEIR BARBAROUS ANCESTORS.”- THOMAS JEFFERSON
Continued from above
In short, the Preamble in itself can not be used. If there is a Constitutional argument it must come from with in the Constitution.
AKM you made your point very well. When I toke that oath in 1963 upon enlisting in the Army, I swore to uphold the Constitution, not just part of it!
AKM, thanks for posting this. I’ve interpreted it the same as you have and posted that opinion a few times on various blogs and in emails the past few months. But not in the eloquent way you have here.
The biggest promoter of the Constitution for many, many years has been Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia. He always keeps a small copy in his jacket pocket and frequently waves it around as he gives speeches on the Senate floor. A few years ago I watched him give a speech on the Constitution on Constitution Day that was shown on C-SPAN. Brilliant. After watching that speech I went and bought my own pocket copy of the Constitution. Unfortunately Sen. Byrd is now in very frail health, he’s 90+.
Just found my share it for today on Facebook. Thanks AKM
About that link that pearl posted earlier. The story also had this claim.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Only one in four Oklahoma public high school students can name the first President of the United States, according to a survey released today.
The survey was commissioned by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs in observance of Constitution Day on Thursday.
———————————–
Wouldn’t you say that the ‘ typical 5th grader ‘ in most OTHER States could name the First President. I mean… they had that whole show based on that name.
And when these kids go the mall to hang out and spend some of their Money to buy a CD or something… they never look at their dollar Bills…?
You might think they are spending all that Federal Education money down there in OK and Texas to buy ‘ guns and ammunition ‘ instead… ya think?
Please… someone test the kids in Texas as well…. for Gov. Perry.
Add Washington’s picture to their Bibles so they will teach it in school.
@39 Gramiam — actually, that is an amazing quote, because anytime in TJ’s life there could not have been more than a half dozen written constitutions in the world.
@peter d: Yeah, I know that the prevailing interpretation is that the Preamble is just junk DNA; but it does show intent, and there have been decisions where the intent of the relevant legislature was influential.
Probably not likely to be significant as long as we have Roboscalitomas on SCOTUS, but hey, Kennedy might have a moment of enlightenment.
@44: Y’see, it’s all about the Benjamins (who is not, of course, a dead president).
Great post, AKM.
Now if we can only hammer the concept of “domestic tranquility” into the townhallers, birthers, tenthers, liberty tree waterers, paranoid socialism-fascism-communism-Nazi watchers, skin heads, KKK, ad nauseam.
Domestic tranquility…..
@39 Gramiam — actually, that is an amazing quote, because anytime in TJ’s life there could not have been more than a half dozen written constitutions in the world.
************************************************************************************
There may have been few constitutions in that age, strangelet, but Thomas Jefferson devoted his entire life to study, debate and writing about them.The link below is a fascinating look at the body if his writing. The quote I presented is from 1816. There are many more. Jefferson and the other men who framed the Constitution came together at a pivotal time in history and the living, breathing framework they designed has never been equaled.
http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/
Finally here is my favorite Quotation from Thomas Jefferson. I was taught this in school many years ago and never forgot it. Sadly, I’ll bet that most children in today’s schools never see this.
“I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every
form of tyranny over the mind of man.” –Thomas Jefferson*
I have been living in Venezuela for the past two plus years and enjoying the benefits of a government truly organized to “Promote the General Welfare”.
The Venezuelan Constitution of 1999, drafted under the President Hugo Chavez government, puts the welfare of human beings, not corporations, at the center of its focus. Adequate medical care, education, housing, nutrition and jobs are all now constitutional rights in Venezuela.
To implement these constitutional provisions, the Chavez govenment has opened thousands of free medical, dental and eye clinics throughout the country, along with subsidized food markets and restaurants, low or interest free mortgages are provided, and there are many free job training programs. All public education — to the doctoral level — is free, and students’ living expenses are subsidized while attending school.
Government programs to eradicate illiteracy have been widely sucessful. This includes political literacy. When the government was preparing for the national referenda to approve the new Constitution, it published all the proposed sections of the Constitution on the shopping bags that were given out in all the markets. Thus, everyone had access to the precise words of the new Constitution.
Contrast this with the appalling fact that 40 million Americans can’t read and write, while 40 million more can’t understand what they read. We have approximately 80 million uneducated Americans, almost 3 times the population of a country the size of Venezuela’s 29 million.
The Republican campaign against funding public education is designed to keep Americans dumbed down so they will do what they are told by the big corporations. The Republicans are succeeding. Eighty million is a lot of ignorant people.
Thanks AKM for educating us all on a key principal of our constitutional drafters. The purpose of government is to promote the general welfare, not to increase the profits of private corporations. Thus, Medicare for All would be as constitutionally legal and it is needed.
Thanks for the post…
You hit the nail on the head! Those are the words so many of these people can’t seem to “get their heads around.” I live in a country that isn’t the greatest democracy in the world; in fact, it’s pretty much controlled by big business. But we have national health insurance and it works very well. Seven percent of everyone’s salary goes for health insurance, and we have reasonable co-pays of less than $10 to see a doctor (even a specialist) and half that for a normal prescription, i.e. a week’s worth of meds. The hospitals are spotless, the medical teams are top-notch, and the tests are reasonably priced. If South Korea can do it, so can America.
If you look closely at that copy of the Constitution, you can still faintly see Dick Cheney’s footprints. And the bleating sheeple choir is imbecilic enough to cry that they “want our rights back!” regarding Obama’s short time in office and they didn’t say “boo” during the reign of President Cheney/Bush.
If you go over to the comments on my post about this you will find the Republican answer.
http://mizbee.net/Patchwork/Sept/Sept18_09.htm
AKM
It is not only obvious, It is a fact, the courts have upheld your interoperation of the Preamble. So there is no question as to what is being said. But the never ending black is white rationalization of the Rush Limbaughs of this country is not for a proper plan. Its for no plan at all. It’s a shame that the moral thinking of to many of our leaders has moved so far from 1788. We will get a Bill, I hope it has some meat in it.
This is an article I wrote to the editor few months ago that fits.
The U.S. constitutional framers Supported and condoned socialism. The first socialist experiment in history was the development of the U.S. Post office. Article #1Section #8 Paragraph #7 of the constitution created a government Run socialistic stamp creation and mail delivery system. Our founders, In their wisdom knew that some things could only be accomplished by government intervention. Proof that if Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams And other founders were alive today they would be in favor Of removing the greedy hands of the middle man (insurance companies) from financially bleeding our citizens ; they would support a single payer system; telling the insurance companies and their Lackey conservative shills that The constitution was created for common defense and General welfare of the American people. That health is a necessary ingredient of our general welfare! Article #1 Section #8 Paragraph #11. Gives congress the right to tax for two reasons: common defense and general Welfare; not to promote preemptive warfare or Boss-Tweed Insurance trusts. The Lemming health care protestors, with their twitching noses, And rat whiskers, are ready to jump on any band wagon of the Talk radio rabble- rousers; lackeys of special interests; simpletons who go off In delirious rage against any Democratic proposal; crying “call the police there is a BLACK MAN in the WHITE HOUSE“! Claiming, in their Simple- Simon mentality, that Obama wants to appoint Dr. Kavorchian surgeon general and put collection boxes outside hospitals so you can drop of granny when she gets too infirmed or wets the bed.
Well, your embellishment: “the government furthers the cause of promoting good health” stepped over the OTHER words that welfare stands for: “happiness, and good fortune; well-being”.
Happiness can fall on either side of the argument.
Good fortune never occurs when government demands money from it’s constituency.
(The bill includes possible provisions for making paying for Health Insurance MANDATORY, including a fine when people don’t or can’t pay).
Well being is always a manifestation of peace of mind.
That’s not what forcing people (barely scraping by) to pay yet another bill brings.
Well being is best served by minimal intrusion in the lives of private citizenry by any kind of government. Government is the de facto model of waste and smothering layers of beaurocracy.
Well… I guess if you’re happy that people go without healthcare, and 45,000 of them die every year because they have none, and that’s not counting the people who die because they are denied coverage by their insurance company… then, yeah.
And if you mean by “health” (the first word in the definition), something other than health.
And if by “government intrusion” you mean giving people the CHOICE of sticking with what they have now, or choosing a more affordable option…
And if tens of millions of Americans suffering is “good fortune”, then I guess you got me. Presuming most people feel as you do.
And if you’re talking about the Baucus Bill, it’s horrendous. Does nothing but line the pockets of the insurance companies, and Max Baucus needs to be run out on a rail. We need a good, affordable, health care public option for everyone. Not a vehicle to get Baucus and his ilk campaign contributions.
AKM