The United States of America is 243 years old. Recall that our Declaration of Independence mentions unalienable Rights, including Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Our Constitution, enacted in 1787 begins with the words “We the People of the United States………….”
No mention is made in the beginning of these documents regarding governments, corporations, media, and social media. To me, the above language is striking as it both defines our nation as a collection of People and provides certain rights. Implicit is that We the People have an obligation to be educated and informed, to acquaint ourselves with our neighbors, coworkers and others as we are all identified as “We the People.” A social obligation exists to assert and protect our rights and to do the same for others. Consideration of issues that impact us all require time and effort to be true Americans so that our country and our society not be taken from us.
More specifically, we have an obligation to maximize our pursuit of happiness and our liberty. Rather than empty words, effort is required to call out those entities that do not function for the common good. The vast majority of us want to exercise our inalienable rights properly and fully. A small minority encourage evil. At times it seems as we disregard our education and intellect and fall prey to a lack of due diligence to seek the truth on issues that affect We the People. Has technology improved our intellects or has it numbed us?
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought on these days in 1863. Take a moment to locate and read letters from soldiers, that demonstrate an ability to communicate in writing, better than today’s norm. While some of these letters are from well educated people most are written by young, less educated persons but all such letters demonstrate passion, intellect and an ability to communicate.
We the People are imperfect beings. Our history consists of many negative events as well as positive ones. Negatives cannot be ignored, nor erased from our history. To the contrary, we must be aware of the human failings of our predecessors and strive to be better citizens and persons. We the People owe it to Americans past, present and future to fulfill the rights and responsibilities of our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.
– Allan Opsitnick