| Posted: 10 June 2008 at 7:29am | IP Logged | 8
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When I consider our Constitution, our potential, when I reflect on guys like HST or Lincoln, I'm really proud of America. Stories like this do their best to shake my faith.
Keep the faith Mike! As a history major, Mike, you would know that we've probably had more bad presidents than good. The genius of our constitution (regardless of how one reads it) is that it endures. It is the legalization of the American Promise made in the Declaration of Independence. And the American Promise, though often unfullfilled, is noble and good. It is articulated in the preamble of the Declaration: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Obviously, the Constitution as initially drafted did not meet these lofty goals -- but as time has progressed so has human understanding of these goals and our constitution, either through legislative amendment or judicial review, has brought us closer to these ends. Unfortunately, our fears of the uncertain future and of change often makes us forget that our Union is premised on change and what that promise means. And the result are ad hominum attacks based on matters of race, political affiliation, gender, faith (or the absence thereof), sexual orientation or class. Rather than attacking the words (because it takes to much time and thought) they attack the man.
But this is not cause to lose faith in our Union or our more noble goals -- because they are the what make ours a great nation. Elections are won and lost; Political policies and movements change; administrations do not remain in place -- but our notion of what we collectively want is steadfast. It is in the fullfillment of the promise made by our nation's founders 232 years ago. The fullfillment of the promise is not a liberal or conservative agenda, it is neither a democratic nor republican goal. It is an American covenant for which we are all stewards.
It is why, in the throes of economic depression one of our finest presidents (though one not without controversy) said what should be always at the front of our minds: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Fear will shake us from our morals -- as we race to protect what we hold dear, our friends and family, we must not forget that what is equally dear: the promise of equality found in the documents which created this Union is destroyed by fear. But for all who have sought to introduce that fear (for whatever end) we have always had others who fight for truth. Truth can defeat fear.
So do not lose faith, my friend, it will be all right. People want the truth.
Edited by Geoff Gibson on 10 June 2008 at 7:33am
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