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April 29, 2011
....Political Statement....
Preserving the Principles"It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There ar men in all ages who mean to govern well, but the mean to govern. They promise to be good master, but they mean to be masters." ------Daniel Webster
Guarding Virtue & Freedom"Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."-----John Adams
Observing the Hand of ProvidenceI regard it [the Constitution] as the work of the purest patriots and wisest statement that ever existed, aided by the smiles of a benignant [gracious] Providence....it almost appears a Divine interposition in our behalf....."----- Daniel Webster
Educating the People
"A primary object...should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing....than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?"-----George Washington
All are fine quotes but I wonder how many school age, from kindergarten to college, actually know who these people are. Each is an inspiration to what our leaders should aspire to. When I was in school I can remember having to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution, now we are lucky if the pledge of allegiance is heard or spoken in our schools. I have an eleven year old and in her school they still do say the pledge of allegiance. It is a small school, a charter school and I have been very impressed with the staff and the teachers. They endeavor to give our children a good education and try in the process to build character blocks that will encourage good citizenship as well as tolerance for there classmates.
What brings this essay about is a trip in the summer of 2010. We (my daughter and I) flew to MN to visit the newest member of our family. After a wonderful visit we began a two and half week drive trip home to AZ with my sister and brother-in-law. Of course it doesn't take that long to drive unless you go through the northern part of America and then down the west coast. Zig zagging back and forth we managed to see some very historical sites; Yellow Stone Park, Redwood Forest, the ocean and of course alot of rural America on the back roads through Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and California. Now as you might guess, this was a lot of drive time, but luckily my sister came prepared with a small pamphlet called The Constitution Of The United States. Well each day we drove we read some of this booklet and I learned alot of things I had forgotten and SJP learned a few thing she had never knew.
It is interesting to watch a child read something like this and although they do not understand the full implecation they do pick up on the magnitude of the power that these words carry. Now I did memorize and recite the Preamble while in school, but I do admit that since then I had not taken another look. Not through the eyes and heart of an adult. I was honestly moved by the beauty of these words that dedicated a body of people to serve a people and the graciousness of these men to lend themselves to being instruments of the people, to serve, protect and watch over the ineliable rights of all. I wonder what they would think if they saw what the government they strived to set up has become. Or the fact that the generations have become very lax in their education and exercising their voice, if that isn't enough to think about let me refresh your memory with a little refresher course in history:
Constitution Of The United States
We the People of the United Sates, 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.