As you know, the Preamble to the Constitution of these United States reads:
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.
To make plain our understanding, allow me to rearrange the phrases thus:
We….ordain(1) and establish THIS Constitution in 1787 because a change is necessary to: (1) form a more perfect Union of American States (the Union was so far from perfect under the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union from 1776 to 1787 that a convention was called to amend them)(2,3); (2) establish Justice in these(4) United States (justice must not have been present and, therefore, needed to be established); (3) insure domestic tranquility in these United States (tranquility must, also, have been absent); (4) provide for the defense of the States in this commUni[on]ty (referenced repeatedly in this column); (5) promote (not provide) the general welfare of the States (not provide specific welfare of individual persons) in this Union(5); and (6) secure(1,6) the BLESSINGS of Liberty to OURselves and OUR posterity.
So, what about BLESSINGS? What are Blessings? With what liberties are we blessed? First and foremost, Psalms 33:12 declares “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” “In God we Trust” on our coins and “under God” in our Pledge of Allegiance attest the Lord is our God. The Declaration of Independence (Articles of Incorporation) acknowledges God’s dominion and providence; and our dependence upon and our subjection to Him, alone.
Some of the liberties are listed in the Constitution and the Declaration: speech; assembly; innocent until proven guilty; speedy trial by jury; own and freely use property; travel at will; worship at will; justice; patents and copyright; representative government; governed with the consent of the governed; free press; keep and bear arms; secure in person, house, papers, and effects; no double jeopardy; due process; freely elect representatives; etc. Plus, per the Bill of Rights, other freedoms not specifically proscribed.
In this Republic (the antithesis of democracy), we are blessed in that the constabulary are the friends of each citizen; whereas in socialist/collectivist lands, the police/army are oppressors.
Of course, unfortunately and tragically, it turns out that today we are just supposed to be enjoying these blessings because, in reality, many of these have been eroded.
To the degree that any of the above blessings is absent or compromised, such have been usurped, infringed, stolen, violated, subjugated, gerrymandered, refused, abused, injured, forbidden, obstructed, prevented, cut off, deprived, abolished, suspended, taken away, plundered. You will recognize that each of these is specifically cited in the Declaration (Charter) as actions of King George that brought the Colonists in 1776 (when they became no longer sufferable) to separate from his dominance.
After that divorce, that took spilt blood to confirm, the Constitution (ByLaws) was established to make sure that not one of the 27 “facts” listed in the Declaration would ever recur.
Ironically, the Blessings of Liberty referred to in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution that were intended to be secured by the government then being formed in 1789, are being infracted primarily by our power-drunk government today. In the main, the Constitution is a set of chains placed on the government to forbid it to do just such mischief.
It takes just a cursory survey of history to find that government (not a common criminal or an outside invader) is the thief that not uncommonly steals away liberty and denies its blessings to an individual. Most of the time, that government is his own. Such was the case in the 1700s. Tragically, such is the case now.
In a nutshell, Liberty is the absence of tyranny — all the way from that in the hands of a spouse, to a bully on the block, to world totalitarian government. (Mark Twain said bigamy is one wife too many. And so is monogamy.)
Thus, we will have these blessings of liberty again only when we reestablish freedom from the oppressive, intrusive, coercive government that we now live under, as the Constitution orders.
In the aftermath of 9/11, curtailment of Liberty has been imposed. Now, so called “Homeland Security” further threatens our freedom. So, it is acutely contemporary (right up to date) that we assess the present status of the Blessings of Liberty secured by the Constitution. Tragically, when we do so we find that it is now necessary for “We the People,” who ordained and established the Constitution in the first place two and a quarter centuries ago, to now reordain and reestablish it. To do so, we must first educate ourselves of the provisions of the Constitution so we can recognize which have been violated. Then we must diligently work to put the Constitution back into full force and effect.
This column is dedicated to doing the former. Many of the activities of AAPS are aimed at the latter. Integrity requires it. Honor demands it. Re-enthroning liberty, so we can once again enjoy its blessings to us and our posterity, is our challenge.
Lord. Embolden us to do so, Sir, if that is your will.
References
1. Caine CW. Etymology (Part I): Lexicology and the Constitution. Medical Sentinel 2000;5(6):215.
2. Caine CW. A more perfect union – Part I. Medical Sentinel 1999;4(2):63-64.
3. Caine CW. A more perfect union – Part II. Medical Sentinel 1999;4(3):112.
4. Caine CW. The(se) United States. Medical Sentinel 1997;2(3):108-109.
5.Caine CW. General welfare. Medical Sentinel 1997;2(4):144-146.
6. Caine CW. Etymology (Part II): Lexicology and the Constitution. Medical Sentinel 2001;6(1):32-33.
This column on the Constitution appears in the Medical Sentinel to remind us that it is the unConstitutional (and thus illegal) activities in medicine and all other facets of our lives that have trampled on and outlawed our God-endowed freedom and liberty.
Dr. Caine is an anesthesiologist in Jackson, Mississippi, and a member of the Editorial Board of the Medical Sentinel. His e-mail address is [email protected].
Originally published in the Medical Sentinel 2002;7(4):127-128. Copyright © 2002 Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS).
