America is more large and complex than ever before. Does that make the Constitution out of date and irrelevant? How can a document created over 200 years ago be useful today?
I believe that the Constitution matters more than ever before precisely because America has become large and complex.
The limits on the federal government, the inspired balances of power, and other powerful Constitutional provisions protect the American people from government becoming tyrannical, oppressive, and out of control.
But government IS becoming tyrannical, oppressive, and out of control. Why isn’t the Constitution working?
Because rulers are choosing to ignore Constitutional restraints and we, the people, are not holding them accountable. These politicians say that the Constitution is a “living document” and means whatever they say it means.
Unwise or evil politicians persuade people that rulers know best and will take care of the people if only we give them more money and power. But oppressive and repressive regimes throughout history almost always make persuasive promises to enslave their constituents.
Thomas Jefferson and our founding fathers understood well the evils of a tyrannical government. Jefferson said, "The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first."
Constitutional principles work. They helped America become a country of unprecedented freedom, peace, and prosperity.
But the people must be vigilant and require rulers to obey the Constitution. Then it becomes an invisible wall to protect the people from politicians who would mortgage our children's future to make persuasive promises that the politicians can't really keep.
I watched the video below as I was thinking about the Constitution. The wall in the video seemed to represent the power of the Constitution to protect us and our children from unwise or evil leaders.