Teaching the US Constitution
All American citizens (and especially US politicians and political candidates) should be familiar with the Constitution. In my personal blog, Assorted Scribblings of a Minor Author, I make no secret of my personal disdain for the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and that I consider him unfit for office. {Disclaimer: All opinions expressed here are my own, and not the official view of Shelby County School District, Millington Municipal School District, Kelly Educational Services, Sweetwater Union School District, the County of San Diego, nor any of my other former employers.) I was lucky enough to grow up as part of the Schoolhouse Rock generation. We had musical lessons on history, civics, science, and math included with our Saturday morning cartoons. Schoolhouse Rock is now available on YouTube.com or on DVD. I recommend it for teachers and parents to help youngsters learn the basics of American history and government or to help themselves refresh their memory of what they should have learned in their youth.
Let’s start with the Preamble. To this day, I must hum first before I can recite it. “A preamble is an introductory and expressionary statement in a document that explains the document’s purpose and underlying philosophy. When applied to the opening paragraphs of a statute, it may recite historical facts pertinent to the subject of the statute”according to Wikipedia.
“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 Constitution is intended to form a better country (a more perfect union), establish justice (fair laws and courts), create and maintain peace (insure domestic tranquility), keep all citizens and inhabitants of the country safe (provide for the common defense), promote everyone’s well being, and keep us and our children and grandchildren free (secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity). That. by the way, is why many Mexicans and Central Americans are coming here (for the sake of their posterity. Does it bother anyone that foreigners believe in the American Dream more than most Americans do?).
Article 1 establishes Congress, what its responsibilities are, how it’s elected, etc.
Article 2 establishes the office of the presidency, its duties and especially its limitations.
Article 3 establishes the Supreme Court.
Our government has three equal branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
