We the People

The United States of America is a noble empire.  It has persisted through civil strife, world war, and economic collapse and through it all we have managed to maintain a peaceful transition of government for two-hundred and thirty-three years.  No nation, kingdom or empire can make such a claim.  We are and have been the wonder and hope of the whole world since declaring our independence from England in 1776.  When we question what it is that has given us such prosperity we must inevitably find the answer within our Constitution.  This document has protected and guided us along a treacherous path and is the world’s longest surviving written charter of government.  We have certainly made mistakes along the way, but always the American people, empowered by the Constitution have risen to meet and defeat every threat and misfortune.

In one long sentence, our forefathers established the power of the people in the Preamble to the Constitution:

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 Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The Preamble explains the purposes of the Constitution, and defines the powers of the  government as originating from the people of the United States.  This is the key point.  The power lies with the people.  Do you remember those old Schoolhouse Rock educational shorts that aired during Saturday morning cartoons back in the day?  Check out the video clip below.  Personally, I’ve always thought this was a great idea that could still work in the present day to help educate our children.  With catchy tunes and colorful animations these videos were a great way to learn.  Take a minute and watch the video.  You may just find yourself walking around singing the Preamble for the rest of the day.