This date is proclaimed Constitution and Citizenship Day. Many will now herald the virtues of that venerable eighteenth-century document. Not I. Instead, I offer an opposing view for those who understand that The American Constitution was not handed down on stone tablets.
I concede that the 1789 instrument was revolutionary in its era and likely the best that could be achieved in its political environment. However, a twenty-first century American government that provides cradle-to-grave services and regulates every aspect of life in between would be beyond the imagination of our "Founding Fathers". They sought to initiate a national government capable of serving the common good, (i. e., powerful enough to do so), but I believe they would be shocked at how much authority has been drawn to the center.
Some years ago, I sat down to review the actual language of our foundation document -- from a contemporary vantage point. I soon recorded over two dozen shortcomings. The most serious of these are detailed below. Our present constitution:
-- fails to specify the core functions of a federal government (e.g., preserving our
national sovereignty), nor the functions that are reserved exclusively to the states.
-- neglects to set forth the pre-requisites for obtaining citizenship.
-- even with ten amendments, sets forth an incomplete set of rights for all citizens.
-- allows elected legislators to set their own level of remuneration, adjudicate their own
misconduct, and manipulate the legislative process to partisan advantage.
-- acknowledges that sovereignty resides with the Citizenry but prescribes no
meaningful role in their own government. It confers rights but levies no
commensurate responsibilities.
These two sentiments, I believe, are shared by a majority of citizens today: (1) The American system of government is broken, and (2) it is incapable of fixing itself, or at the very least, unwilling to do so. I see no departure from this destructive path until outraged citizens demand the sovereignty they were promised so long ago. Without this upgrade, we remain subjects of a ruling elite that consider us a tedious inconvenience.
Given over two centuries of advancement in literacy and communications technology, it is time we insist on a direct and binding voice on the national policies that affect our lives. The mechanisms to do this in an orderly manner are outlined in the novels of
The Democracy Saga [ https://www.citizen-v2pt1.us/the-democracy-saga ]. Once we obtain a substantive role in our own governance, as the Swiss have enjoyed for decades, I see the American people rising to that challenge, creating a more perfect union, and then proudly reclaiming the title of "World's Leading Democracy". This is America's true manefest destiny.
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