Have You Ever Read The Preamble?

Let me refresh your memory.

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our prosterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States."

This was an introductory phrase written to outline the Constitution's guiding principles. Just think of the Preamble as a 'The DUMMIES GUIDE: To The U.S. Constitution.'   Does the average American take these words to heart?  My wager is to that question is, 'No.' If one was to take the preamble and breaks it down into parts just what does it mean?  Well for me the following are my core principals as a human being, citizen, defender of freedom, and most importantly as a parent. 

"WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union,"  We are to come together as a nation. To work together as one, to reach across the aisle and compromise for the common good of man.  Has anyone seen this lately?

"Establish Justice,"  We have built a system of local, state, and federal laws. However, Lady Justice has been hog-tied. Justice has become unbalanced to give those with monetary means the ability to by pass common sense and decency through loop holes.  We need to put her blinders back on and take lawyers' fingers off the scales.  (Sorry waxing poetic there.)

"Insure domestic tranquility," We could not have 50 unique states trading and using 50 monetary systems -- trade is crucial to a 'union.'  We had to come together to have a single focus for roads, laws, immigration standards, language, and lay the framework to keep peace. It also means we (individual states) have equal representation in Congress based not only upon state population -- the House of Representatives but; representation not based upon size -- the Senate.   This also includes the role of the Supreme Court to insure no laws are unjust under the Constitution.

"Provide for the common Defense,"  this is our five branches of military, national guard, para-military, and public education (police, fire, and to me education because an educated UNION is more apt to be secure.) We had to have a 'common defense' to secure our national borders.  We have to have a 'common defense' to fight diease.  We have to have a 'common defense' to assist citizens during natural or man-made disasters.  We have to have a 'common defense' because we are humans who need the security of knowing we (the U.S.) will be here (collectively) tomorrow. 

"Promote general welfare,"  Now many folks have issue with the term welfare but, the actual term was originally used as such.

World English Dictionary  welfare (ˈwɛlˌfɛə) — n, 1. health, happiness, prosperity, and well-being in general http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/welfare

Only later did this word come to mean government assistance.  The general welfare in my opinion can be simply summed up as:  "I am my brother's keeper."  I have the responsibility as a citizen to assist those who need a hand up.  I have no issue helping those out of work keep their homes, feed their family, educate their children, and have access to medical care through paying taxes or contributing to charity. Because until the last head in our country has a safe place to lay his/her head; we have failed to protect ourselves.

The final part is: "and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our prosterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States."  This is me simply outlines national goals of being a union; free to speak, become educated, seek medical assistance, congregate, build homes, set aside for our future & our childrens' future, find redress of concerns, worship, live, work, dream, hope, move about the country; etc.  Our Constitution is what we make it. 

Without folks actually learning what is in the document; we can never be truly free.

Steps off soapbox, heads into the classroom...............