Campaign 16: We The People!

Sometime between the inauguration speech and the first ball, I would start pressuring Congress to replace the current motto, ‘In God We Trust’ with ‘We The People’!

Originally I thought this was just going to be a trivial add on to my thoughts on Campaign 16 and I would throw it out here during a peak time when there wasn’t much time to write. But then I got busy with real life and haven’t had the time to spend writing and researching…and some of the big issues I want to address just haven’t got to the Blogging Blue yet.

Then I realized that the concept to change the motto is the perfect starting point to the campaign. Because ‘We The People’ perfectly describes the difference between how I interpret government’s role in America and the ‘professed’ beliefs of most all of the other candidates.

‘We The People’ represents the entire Constitution as the guiding principle to protect and support ALL of the people of the United States. The principle that we all have the rights outlined in the document, that we all have the protections outlined in the document and that we all share the responsibilities inherent in those rights and protections. The actions of the government need to be directed to benefit the common good…the entire common good…not a select few…not a particular class…not a particular race. It implies a proactive nature, a proactive stance…where a love of nation is exhibited in a love of our fellow man…not in flag waving patriotic zealotry…where jobs provide the means of life…where education provides the means to jobs…and where the national goal is to build the greatest nation to live in…not the greatest military might on earth.

I am not going to go to great lengths to dis ‘In God We Trust’ on first amendment grounds nor that it doesn’t reflect the diversity that is the United States. But it just doesn’t suit the vision and promise that should be the United States.

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1 thought on “Campaign 16: We The People!

  1. Agreed. I can appreciate your hesitation to dis ‘In God We Trust’ as the nation’s motto on 1st amendment grounds or that it does not accurately reflect the beliefs (or lack thereof) of significant portions of the country. Nevertheless, those are valid objections.

    In addition, as you say, “We the People” points us to our Constitution. The value of our Constitution is something on which both the principled Left and principled Right can agree. (What of course is thornier is in the interpretation, Judicial review, living or originalist, penumbra, emanations, etc.)

    But the Constitution, as the defining document for our country, is universally valued in the United States (and beyond). The nation would indeed be better served with a motto that reflects this.

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