Happy Constitution Day and Why I’m a Liberal

Alert: I don’t typically write about politics or religion, so I’m forewarning you. Turn back while you can…

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For close to 40 years, I have been registered to vote as an independent. I’ve never liked political parties, and I still don’t.

Today is Constitution Day, September 17, 2012, the 225th anniversary of the Constitutional Convention’s signing of the U.S. Constitution.  In school we are celebrating this day, also called Citizenship Day. Because of that, I suppose, I spent some time this weekend considering the preamble.

As I said at the beginning, it is unusual for me to write about politics; I’ve been fairly apolitical throughout my life. However, it was just last week in a blog post, that I first called myself liberal — I’m liberal with my photographs, I said. Today I feel I am a liberal for two more reasons.

First, I believe the Constitution’s preamble gives a fairly liberal agenda that necessarily calls for a strong government if we are to provide these things:

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 for the United States of America.

In addition, I am a follower of Jesus. Each day I read a chapter in the Bible, and yesterday my bookmark happened to be at chapter 10 of Mark. Here are just a few quotes from this one chapter:

About divorce: “What God has joined together, let no one separate.”  verse 9

About heaven: “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” verse 15

About wealth: “Go and sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” verse 21

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” verse 25

About position: “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.” verses 43-44

A liberal question: “What do you want me to do for you?” verse 51

About faith: “Go, your faith has made you well.” verse 52

There are 88 additional chapters in the gospels about Jesus’ life on earth. Besides the things above, he said much more — impossible, crazy, profound, amazing, revolutionary, liberating things — like “Don’t be afraid”, “Do not judge”, “Be perfect”, and to the religious hypocrites: “You snakes!” 

I believe the government was ordained and established to help all its people, and I want to be like Jesus, so I guess I am a liberal.

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Resources for Constitution Day

Share Your Own Six-Word Stump Speech

The Constitution’s 225th

Sign the Constitution

The Preamble to the Constitution YouTube Resources on Diigo