Of the People

“…government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

— Abraham Lincoln  (Gettysburg Address)

During the dedication of the Soldier’s National Cemetery in Gettysburg, President Lincoln rededicated the United States to the great task remaining — the unfinished work of those who gave their lives on the battlefields of the Civil War — to a new birth of freedom and equality for all Americans, and the perpetual protection of government of, by and for the people.

The extent to which a government of, by and for the people might ever have existed outside Lincoln’s or anyone’s imagination is of less importance than the renewed commitment of each generation to pursue such a government and make it’s presence immortal.

Yet, today, with our government composed almost entirely of the 1% and directed almost entirely by the 1%, it is not too difficult to explain why it falls so far short of the mark for the remaining 99% of its citizens — and why the U.S. Congress has public approval ratings in the single digits.  Our government is failing so miserably because it does not come close to representing Lincoln’s government of, by and for the people.  Rather it resembles in almost every way an oligarchy of privileged rich men and a few privileged rich women.

It is time we all rededicated ourselves to Lincoln’s struggle to birth a truly just and democratic form of government of, by and for all of the people — lest the last vestiges of Mr. Lincoln’s dream will surely perish from the earth.

Preamble to the U.S. Constitution

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.” 

– Gouverneur Morris (Preamble to the US Constitution)

The six provisions of the Preamble — 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 for current and future generations of Americans — are widely held to establish the framework and express the Founder’s intentions for the Constitution that they crafted in Philadelphia during the Summer of 1787.

Yet, in modern times, a select few among us find it all too easy to overlook the Founder’s commitment to the creation of a Federal Government for the purpose of establishing Justice, promoting the General Welfare and securing the Blessings of Liberty for ALL current and future generations of Americans — choosing to focus, instead, on providing for the Defense and Protection of the interests of the moneyed few.  Such a view is stunted, short-sighted, and a threat to our Nation.  It must not be allowed to dilute the full purpose of the Federal establishment, or distract attention or resources from the full breadth of responsibility of the Government of the United States.

Welcome

Welcome to the U.S. National RECLAIM DEMOCRACY Project Blog.

The posts that follow focus on ideas and actions essential to re-balancing the U.S. Government so that it justly represents all citizens and their progeny.  We hope you find them thought-provoking and useful in that cause.