We the people…
“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.”
We the people - who knows what the founders had in mind when they decided on that opening. We have some letters many of them wrote, like Adam, Jefferson, Madison, and others, but we aren’t privy to what they talked about over a flagon of mead after work. But what seems clear to me is that they understood the importance of people to any endeavor. They talk about the impact of the Constitution on the people ten times.
- “We the people”
- “delegates chosen in each State by the people”
- “chosen every second Year by the People”
- “right of the people peaceably to assemble”
- “The right of the people to be secure”
- “shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people”
- “are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”
- “elected by the people thereof, for six years”
- “temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies”
- “rights and powers conferred under this article shall be by the people”
No human endeavor is possible without the people. From the family group to large corporations to the federal government, all depend on people for success. And for that to happen, the leaders of each of these groups must look toward the welfare of the people in the group for that success. Back to our Preamble.
The signposts of success are Justice, Tranquility, Defense, Welfare, Liberty, and Prosperity. Each of these groups, large and small, depends on people to execute processes and to do the right thing to meet its goals. People who feel wanted, appreciated, heard, and justly rewarded will deliver on the goals of the group. People who feel disgruntled or under-appreciated will likely not give their all for the good of the group.
We need to find or develop leaders of all these groups who will focus on the people who will ensure the group’s success and, in doing so, the leaders' success. In the family group, that would be the parents. At the corporate level, the managers throughout the company need the people skills to succeed as a group. And, in government, we need to elect representatives who understand that focusing on the welfare and prosperity of the people, not just the corporations, is critical to our nation's success.
People who are struggling to survive are unlikely to be active participants in a vital society. They will spend all their time trying to find their next meal or somewhere to live. They will have nightmares about overwhelming medical expenses. Likewise, they will agonize over what kind of life their children will have. If we fail the family group, the next generation is likely to struggle as well.
The job of leaders in all of our societal groups is to free the people of as much worry and suffering as possible so that they are free to participate in improving themselves and society and raising the next generation of contributing citizens.
As voters, we the people hold the key to electing leaders in our government from the local to federal levels who will provide that focus.
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