"We have the oldest written constitution still in force in the world,
and it starts out with three words, 'We, the people.' "
~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg
In a prior post, I talked about how our current times actually are offering us a training in the mechanics of democracy ... so that we can be empowered in our actions as citizens! (See: Our Times Are Training Us in Democracy.)
KEY ACTION: In this post, I'll talk about a key way for us to embrace that training: by reviewing and being conversant in our country's founding document — The Constitution including its Bill of Rights. We can also encourage the same in friends and children. Perhaps have a gathering where folks quiz each other and discuss its details, its history, and its application today.
Why the U.S. Constitution is So Important and Powerful
The U.S. Constitution, this critical document, is our founders’ design to support democracy and avoid dictatorship. Its key elements are there to help us exactly in times like these. Understanding this tool is mission critical for protecting our democracy.
All federal and state legislators, officers, and judges are required to take oaths or affirmations to support the Constitution. They can be held accountable to this. Everything in our laws is supposed to be trued to this document. This is the core structure of our democracy.
So I invite you to read or remind yourself what is in there, and encourage others to do the same. I find it thrilling to see what is already covered there and available for us to use in our stand for democracy and greater sanity.
How the Constitution Can Help Us Strengthen Our Democracy
Then, as you watch current events, you can notice the specific violations of the Constitution that occur ... and speak to those violations in factual, nonpartisan ways ... standing up for democracy in a way that any citizen of any party might stand with you.
That to me is a key component of retaining our democracy into the future. Because personal partisan attacks only make this a mud fight, discouraging the participation of reasonable people and reinforcing the splits in our country rather than healing them. These splits are poison to the heart of our democracy and thus our liberty and power as citizen.
Instead, my aim is that somehow in this process we find our way back to a place where all citizens can stand together higher principles, beyond party and rage. Then we can learn how to work together to figure out and work together for what is truly in our shared best interest, and to reject that which is harmful to us all. The Constitution offers us a key tool for doing that.
Most Americans Don't Know the Basics of Democracy
It's especially important at a time when polls shows that most people don’t even know the basics of our Constitution. Our collective ignorance disables these tools installed to protect us!
According to a CNN article about a 2017 poll:
* More than one in three people (37%) could not name a single right protected by the First Amendment. THE FIRST AMENDMENT.But, on the flip side, as we remind ourselves of the key principles in this core document, we can reclaim their power for our benefit once again. We can view current events through this lens … and know where it is critical for us to stand up … and how the Constitution can help us in doing so.
* Only one in four (26%) can name all three branches of the government. (In 2011, 38% could name all three branches.)
* One in three (33%) can't name any branch of government. None. Not even one.
For instance, another survey shows that Americans have become educated about certain issues in the news recently, such as impeachments and pardons.
“High-quality civics education is not a luxury… One is unlikely to appreciate or defend constitutional prerogatives or rights one does not understand.”
~ Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of PennsylvaniaSome Examples of Key Constitutional Ideas That Help Us Today
How comfortable are you in talking about these ideas, and using them to support saner actions in our world?
(1) “We, the people.” These powerful words are the the start of the Constitution, the foundation of democracy. It states that “We, the people” created democracy to serve our needs. We are in charge. Everyone in the system is supposed to be serving us collectively. This was a radical idea in the time of kings. It still is for those who want to be kings. This reminds us that we're not supposed to bow down to them, to fall in line. On the contrary, our representatives are supposed to listen to us, and think first about serving our shared well-being.
(2) Our country's mission statement: The first paragraph of the Constitution states goals that we all likely want today. This is a vision we can share, find agreement with people of different beliefs, and work towards together.
"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."(3) The three branches of government. Why do the Congress, Presidency, and Courts exist as separate branches? To prevent the takeover of our government by tyrant(s)! That’s why it’s critical to maintain the “checks and balances” between the branches ... the rules about who is in charge of what, and who can stop what.
This principle is violated, for instance, when a powerful Congressperson serves the President above the citizens, or acts to just rubber stamp the President's Supreme Court choice. It also is violated when a President seeks to declare an Emergency to override a Congressional decision and its power of the purse. We don't need to explain from scratch why these are wrong. It's so much more clear when we can show that they violate our country's foundational document.
(4) Freedom of the press. Why is this so vital to democracy? Isn't the press just supposed to serve the rulers, and be critiqued by the rulers if it fails to (as some assert today)? Well, no, the press is meant to serve the people and watchdog our representatives in government. That's why it gets special freedoms. (I also think that this time is helping to remind the media of this, as some have become too captivated by creating entertainment and attracting advertising dollars, more than the content and usefulness of what they offer.)
(5) Separation of church and state. This is vital to protect both democracy and freedom of religion (the right to worship as we please). Even wise religious people support this. Because when one particular type of religion gets political power, it often suppresses other paths ... and loses any spiritual heart it might have had. It becomes about earthly power, not divine guidance. It often suppresses very basic rights. And it becomes very hard to have factual debates about what is best for us collectively ... when the religious/political leader says the divine told them this is how something is supposed to be. This is a hierarchical structure, with G-d’s interpreter holding all the power at the top. We have seen time and again that theocracy is not about creating authentic spiritual experiences but very earthly and unquestioning obedience. Yet there are those today working hard to impose their ideas on us this way. This is the opposite of democracy, and we need to know how vital it is for us to say "No" to it, early and often and enough to stop it.
To Learn More
To explore these ideas more, I suggest these resources:
(1) This page does an elegant job of quickly summarizing our Constitution, and how its design offers us protection and flexibility.
https://home.ubalt.edu/shapiro/rights_course/Chapter1text.htm
“The United States Constitution is an amazing document. A bold experiment in democracy more than 200 years ago, it has proved both stable and flexible enough to survive and remain effective in a world totally different from the one in which it was written.(2) Read the Constitution itself. Do you really know what’s in there? When I read it, I am so impressed and honored to see all the protections and forethought for our benefit there. This was created for us! Lucky us! Here’s a copy.
...
In a democracy without a written constitution, such as the United Kingdom, the legislature may pass laws granting or taking away any rights, or even changing the structure of the government itself. A Constitution is more difficult to alter, and the framers of the American Constitution made it especially difficult to amend….
By binding the hands of future generations, it prevents a majority from granting tyrannical powers to the government in a time of crises. It also prevents a majority from easily taking away the rights of minorities….
A document that is so difficult to amend can become obsolete over time, if it is too detailed and inflexible. For the most part, however, the Constitution is written in terms general or abstract enough to retain a core set of values yet be amenable to changing interpretations as called for by the times.”
http://constitutionus.com
(3) You can get more about the specific application and edges of the Constitution’s elements in this Wikipedia page.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution
Especially see the introduction section, then this section.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution#Preamble
(4) BOOK: The Know Your Bill of Rights Book, by Sean Patrick. “Don’t lose your Constitutional rights. Learn them!” This inspiring and passionate book breathes life into this part of the Constitution, and the journey people have taken to secure these rights for themselves. I love how it's written!
(5) For more information and inspiration on this and related topics, I invite you to explore more of my blog, and sign up on its email list to be informed of new posts.
And please let me know what you think … including what you find of interest in my offerings; what you'd like me to write about next; and what other information, resources, and ideas inspire and empower you.
~ In service,
Patricia Dines
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