Social Media Posts — PREAMBLISM

Follow and join www.Preamblist.org in encouraging our nation to live up to the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence ("We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...") And the Preamble to the 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 defense, 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.)

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When our democracy is threatened by extreme partisanship, when scientific consensus on threats such as climate change are dismissed, when the poor and middle class get poorer, when our children are at risk of gun violence, and when innocents die abroad in terrorist attacks and war...look to the preambles for solutions:

Preamble to the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness..."

Preamble to the 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 defense, 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."

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With all that's going on in the world and the country, I return to the purpose of our government as stated in the Preamble to the 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 defense, 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." And I like to pair that with the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence which includes: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..." I think we should try to achieve the values of these two preambles when it comes to all issues including ones that are particularly concerning to me today: foreign affairs, domestic gun violence, and extremist partisanship dominating both our major political parties. I would like to hear how you think we could apply the preambles to these issues?

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Preamblism™ asserts that America should purposefully strive to embody the words of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution. To symbolize this, this shows the beginning of these two great preambles together in one visual united by the first word "We."

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The Preamblist Movement suggests we free our minds from:

1. the dichotomies which divide us such as right v. left, conservative v. liberal, democrat v republican, RINOs v. “real Republicans, DINOs v. “real Democrats” and

2. from the dichotomies that oversimplify issues as a choice between two extremes with no room for moderate or different positions (e.g. pro-choice v. pro-life; pro-gun v. anti-gun; socialist v. capitalist, and pro-Palestine v pro-Israel).

When we think along the lines of these dichotomies, we fall into the hands of the extremists because we create unnecessary divisions that restrain us from finding reasonable solutions. Additionally, these dichotomies are not reflective of reality. For example, our economy is both capitalist and socialist at the same time which, in many opinions, is a good thing because we get the best of both systems and our overall system is stronger because of it. Furthermore, many people are too complicated and nuanced to fall squarely into one of these labels. The Preamblist Movement suggests we free our minds from these false dichotomies that hold us back. https://media.tenor.com/sItb6CS4pYwAAAAd/morpheus-free-your-mind.gif

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NASA states: “There is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate. Human activity is the principal cause.” (https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/). NASA also states “the vast majority of actively publishing climate scientists – 97 percent – agree that humans are causing global warming and climate change.” Because of this science, the Army has a climate change strategy which states, ‘Climate change poses an immediate and serious threat to U.S. national security and affects how and where the Army trains and operates. As the Secretary of the Army (SecArmy) stated in the United States Army Climate Strategy (ACS), "For today's Soldiers operating in extreme temperature environments, fighting wildfires, and supporting hurricane recovery, climate change isn't a distant future, it is a reality."‘ (https://www.army.mil/e2/downloads/rv7/about/2022_Army_Climate_Strategy_Implementation_Plan_FY23-FY27.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0PRegmFPh-qqZDvY6tDSNV6yF5CxrVR3iI64DgZcd0nq_Z61If6-Lg8HM). Worrying about climate change is not political- it’s following the lead of the vast majority of the scientists including those at NASA. Therefore, to me, the best thing to do is, like the Army, take climate change seriously and act- it’s what I owe my children and nephews and nieces ("our posterity" as stated in the preamble to the Constitution).

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There is a Ronald Reagan for President campaign commercial from 1984 about a bear in the woods. Many of you likely remember it. It says "There is a bear in the woods. For some people, the bear is easy to see. Others don't see it at all. Some people say the bear is tame. Others say it's vicious and dangerous. Since no one can really be sure who's right, isn't it smart to be as strong as the bear? If there is a bear." At the time, the bear was the Soviet Union. Back then there was a debate about the level of threat posed by the Soviet Union and what we should do about it. The commercial was saying that the smart thing to do, despite some level of uncertainty, is to take the threat seriously and protect ourselves against the Soviet Union. Today, the logic of this commercial still resonates with me. I think the bear is the woods is now climate change. Now imagine the bear represents climate change as we re-quote the commercial: “There is a bear in the woods. For some people, the bear is easy to see. Others don’t see it all. Some people say the bear is tame. Others say it’s vicious and dangerous. Since no one can really be sure who’s right, isn’t it smart to be as strong as the bear? If there is a bear.” Even if you have some doubts about climate change, isn’t it smart to take it seriously, mitigate it, and protect ourselves from it? Like the Soviet Union, if the threat is real, it’s a very big and potentially existential threat (especially for our children and grandchildren— “our Posterity,” as stated in the preamble to the Constitution”). The Preamblist Movement calls on us to take strong, swift action against climate change for ourselves and "our Posterity." https://youtu.be/FErYyPMbllI?si=adbTxicFBWfQYRkf

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I believe the Supreme Court should intervene to stop partisan gerrymandering because it is against the words and spirit of the Constitution. The Preamble to the Constitution starts with "We the people" whereas partisan gerrymandering decreases many of "the people's" voting power (in this case it decreases the power of those who vote Democrat which is a lot of people in NC). Additionally the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence states government derives its "just powers from consent of the governed." Its also wrong when the Democratic party does partisan gerrymandering too.https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/25/north-carolina-congressional-map-gop-gerrymander-00123574?fbclid=IwAR0a1b5f8X1A8bjAdWynozsvg6fJp6hAvvUAhCH9pnGHAtbn7TV1_1NWVhM

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We believe gerrymandering is morally wrong, whether by Democrats or Republicans. Gerrymandering intentionally suppresses the power of some voters which is undemocratic. It violates the democratic principles of the preamble to the Declaration of Independence when it states "consent of the governed" and the preamble to the Constitution when it says "We the People."

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I hope the IRS continues to get the funding to catch super rich tax cheats. https://www.cnn.com/.../irs-millionaire-tax.../index.html...

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We strongly condemn the Hamas attack on October 7 and all terrorism. Our hearts go out to the over 1,400 killed and to their families and friends in grief. At the same time, we grieve and are concerned for innocent Palestinian civilians, especially the children, who have been or are at risk of being killed or injured by Israeli military action- already over 4,000 have been killed and thousands displaced and hungry. We believe that Israel, like any other country, has the right to defend itself. However, we wonder if Israel's current widespread military actions will, in the long-run, make them less safe by further angering Palestinians and Arab neighbors. We believe that violence, even counter-violence against a horrific attack, can lead to more violence especially when thousands of civilians are harmed, and then even more violence as the deadly cycle continues

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The current lack of a Speaker of the House crisis is a symptom of the failure of our current system which puts too many extremist partisans in power and a sign that we could really benefit from more moderate, centrist representatives voting across party lines to help us move past this stalemate. The Constitution says “The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers.” It does not require that the party that holds the most seats will elect the speaker, but right now that’s what happens because both parties choose one main candidate to put forward for a floor vote; the minority party members usually vote for one of their candidates while the majority party members usually vote for one of their candidates while the winner must win a simple majority of the the votes (right now 217 votes out of 433 filled seats)- these days, there is very little to no chance of any members voting for the other parties candidate. There are currently no independent or third-party members of the House. With this arrangement, its easy for extremists to exert their power when there are enough of them as there are today. The Republican Party knows that only a candidate that is accepted by the extremists will win the simple majority vote so they put forward mainly extremist candidates like Representative Jim Jordan. But the more moderate representatives within the party, correctly in my opinion, are highly reluctant to give in to the extremists and vote for someone too extreme. So we have stalemate and no legislation can move forward which will lead to a very likely government shutdown in November. In my opinion, a short-term answer and a smart move by Democrats would be for most Democratic Representatives to suddenly and surprisingly vote for the most moderate Republican in the field hopefully combining with enough Republicans to reach 217 votes (unlikely Democrats would do this but seems like a smart move to me to get a speaker they would like more than the others). In my opinion, the long-term answer is to set up elections in such a way that people have moderate candidates to vote for, but the current primaries often only put forward extremists because less moderate voters vote in primaries than general elections. What do you think?

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What can politics/government learn from the philosophical concept of Yin-Yang? The Yin-Yang, which emerged in China, is one of the most ancient philosophical concepts and it remains highly influential today. It “describes opposite but interconnected forces.” The concept includes a “fruitful paradox of simultaneous unity and duality. Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary (rather than opposing) forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts. According to this philosophy, everything has both yin and yang aspects (for instance, shadow cannot exist without light). Either of the two major aspects may manifest more strongly in a particular object, depending on the criterion of the observation. The yin and yang symbol (or taijitu) shows a balance between two opposites with a portion of the opposite element in each section.” Likewise, certain values democratic governments try to achieve are sometimes in opposition to each other (e.g. liberty and safety) so that they can sometimes be considered opposites (like a yin and a yang) but yet they are simultaneously part of each other in that, for example, one cannot truly have liberty without safety and vice versa (one cannot have liberty if constantly under likely threat of being violently attacked and one cannot have safety if you don’t have the liberty to escape or defend oneself- think of a slave who is constantly unsafe because they have no liberty to legally defend themselves or family). Taking one value too far jeopardizes the other value or values. So the values must be in balance with each other. That does not mean that each value must be perfectly even with the other. At certain times, circumstances, and places, there can be more of one than the other- like how if you look near the top of the classic yin-yang symbol and move your eyes horizontally, you will see more white than black, but there is still a bit of black. What do you think? To find out more about Preamblism follow us at Preamblist Preamblism and go to www.preamblist.org . Sources of quotes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang

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66 years ago, September 24, 1957- In a victory for racial integration, General Eisenhower orders the US Army to protect the Little Rock Nine, a group of students who are bravely trying to be the first African Americans to attend Little Rock Central High School since the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision. Until this order, the nine students have been unable to complete a full day of school there due to the disgraceful protests of angry segregationists.

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October 14, 1979: First National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights: over 75,000 people march on Washington “to demand equal rights and urge the passage of protective civil rights legislation.” Audre Lorde speech: “Thirty years ago, the first time I came to Washington, my family and I couldn't eat ice cream in a drug store here because we were black. Since then I have come to Washington many times to demonstrate and to testify many times to different aspects of myself and my beliefs and I see many familiar faces from those past marches here today. For lesbians and gay men have always been in the vanguard of struggles for liberation and justice in this country and within our communities. The first national conference of “Third World Lesbians and Gay Men” met in Washington over the past few days and it was an outstanding success. We had third world lesbians and gay men as delegates from over forty states, third world lesbians and gay men from Mexico, from Canada, and from England. Now we have all come together to demonstrate our power as lesbians and gay men on behalf of our own rights. And this is the beginning of a new front for we are saying to the world that the struggle of lesbians and gay men is a real and particular and insufferable part of the struggle of all oppressed people within this country. I am proud to raise my voice here on this day as a black, lesbian, feminist committed to struggle for a world where all our children can grow free from the diseases of racism, of sexism, of classism, and homophobia—for those oppressions are inseparable. The question always is what kind of a world do we want to be a part of? And affirmation and work does not stop with this march on Washington. Each of us has a responsibility to take this struggle to his and her community translated into daily action. The National Conference of Third World Lesbians and Gay Men and this march today were once only visions of what could be now all of us have made it our reality. Let us carry this solidarity that we are professing here today back with us into our everyday lives tomorrow and the day after and next week and next year and let it be reflected in a renewed commitment to struggle for a future in which we can all flourish where not one of us will ever be free until we are all free.”

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/.../National_March_on_Washington...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQK8yawGQXE

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November 4- #OnThisDay On November 4, 1924 – "Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming becomes the first female elected as governor in the United States" and on November 4, 2008 – “Barack Obama becomes the first person of biracial or African-American descent to be elected as President of the United States.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_4 . The Preamblist Movement celebrates the diversity of this country and when our government better reflects that diversity.

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#OnThisDay November 5- The Preamblist Movement honors Susan B. Anthony for illegally voting in a presidential election on November 5, 1872. When arrested and fined, she said "“I shall never pay a dollar of your unjust penalty." Over 40 years later, women win the right to vote, a major leap in achieving the values of "We the People" in the preamble to the Constitution and "consent of the governed" in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence.

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#OnThisDay November 6, 1860- After a four-way race, Abraham Lincoln is elected President of the United States, the first Republican president. He goes on to preserve the Union, thereby upholding “a more perfect Union” as stated in the preamble to the Constitution, and to end slavery, thereby upholding “all men are created equal" as stated in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. I think this quote of his is very relevant today: “Let us discard all these things, and unite as one people throughout this land, until we shall once more stand up declaring that all men are created equal.” https://images.app.goo.gl/erk4eAe8Mv5aoaTv7

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#OnThisDay November 6, 2012- Wisconsin elects the first openly gay U.S. Senator, Tammy Baldwin. The Preamblist Movement celebrates when the diversity of this great country is represented in government.

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#OnThisDay November 7-

In 1916, the first female member of U.S. Congress is elected: Jeannette Rankin (Montana, Republican, U.S. House of Representatives).

In 1989- Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor (Virginia, Democrat). David Dinkins is elected to be the first African American Mayor of New York City (Democrat).

The Preamblist Movement celebrates when the diversity of this great country is represented in government.

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On November 18, 2023, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of same-sex couples winning the right to marry in Massachusetts, the first state to recognize this right. Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court wrote in the majority ruling “The Massachusetts Constitution affirms the dignity and equality of all Individuals...It forbids the creation of second-class citizens.” This ruling was another step in the long road towards the values in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence ("unalienable rights," equality, "liberty," "pursuit of happiness," and "safety"/"future security" for gay couples) and the preamble to the Constitution (including "justice," "liberty," and "general welfare.") https://www.preamblist.org/timeline-key-historic-events; #OnThisDay #onthisdayinhistory #20yearsago #gayrights #Preamble

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November 19, 1863- on this day we celebrate this anniversary: Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address referencing both the preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the preamble to the Constitution as I call out in (parentheses): “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation” (referring to the signing of the Declaration of Independence), “conceived in liberty” (liberty is stated in both preambles), “and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” (“all men are created equal” is a direct quote from the preamble to the Declaration of Independence). "Now we are engaged in a great civil war…we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” (“Government of the people, by the people, for the people” reflects and builds on “We the People” of the preamble to the Constitution.) https://images.app.goo.gl/b7qyDS7MYH45L8d36 #OnThisDay #onthisdayinhistory #abrahamlincoln

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Today, November 22, 1963, is 60 years since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Like all president's, he had his faults. But we most remember Kennedy for his best moments including the inspiring words of his inaugural address about our country's foundations of human rights, liberty, and freedom. I wonder if today we are still like he states we were then: "unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world?" If so, let us stop fighting with each other and try to come together as a country and renew our commitment to democracy for all our citizens for it is one of the keys to our human rights.

Here are my favorite parts of his inaugural address in which I see the same spirit as the preambles to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence:

"We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom--symbolizing an end as well as a beginning--signifying renewal as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty...

...And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country...."

For full speech go to https://www.archives.gov/.../president-john-f-kennedys... .

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On this day 240 years ago, November 25, 1783 (Evacuation Day) the British Army leaves New York City (then southern Manhattan) which had been their key military, operations, and political center since early in the Revolution. General George Washington rides triumphantly into New York and at the very southern tip of Manhattan a British flag is removed (from a pole that the British greased to make it harder to climb) and replaced with the American flag. The British departure is over seven years after the Declaration of Independence- a long time of sacrifice by our fore-bearers who took early steps on the path towards “liberty” and “consent of the governed” as stated in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. Let us honor their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of those who followed, by continuing along this path. I believe the best way to do this is to ensure our democracy remains vibrant and inclusive. How do you think we can best continue on this path today? https://images.app.goo.gl/4WhJeL28HWWjLsocA

#onthisdayinhistory #OnThisDay

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December 2, 1954- The Senate votes to censure Senator Joseph McCarthy who had built much of his popularity by publicly accusing individuals of being communists without proof which often ruined their lives and caused widespread fear of expressing certain views. The censure is a victory for freedom of speech, due process of law, and the liberty stated in the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. #OnThisDay #onthisdayinhistory #freedomofspeech

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December 3, 1847- Frederick Douglass releases the first issue of his first antislavery newspaper, The North Star, named for the star that escaping slaves followed. In the first issue Douglass states about the paper: "To millions, now in our boasted land of liberty, it is the STAR OF HOPE." Also in the first issue, Douglass states, “It has long been our anxious wish to see, in this slave-holding, slave-trading, and negro-hating land, a printing-press and paper, permanently established, under the complete control and direction of the immediate victims of slavery and oppression…that the man who has suffered the wrong is the man to demand redress,—that the man STRUCK is the man to CRY OUT—and that he who has endured the cruel pangs of Slavery is the man to advocate Liberty.” The motto of The North Star was: "RIGHT IS OF NO SEX--TRUTH IS OF NO COLOR--GOD IS THE FATHER OF US ALL, AND ALL WE ARE BRETHREN." This motto and paper reflects the values in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence of "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The value liberty is also stated in the preamble to the Constitution. What can we learn today from this paper? For me, there is much to learn including that we should remember our firsthand accounts of history from those who actually experienced it so as to not repeat its mistakes. What do you think? https://images.app.goo.gl/7FdQCK7UeBZd759R9 #onthisdayinhistory, #OnThisDay, #FrederickDouglass, #freedom, #Preamble, #blackhistory

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December 16- We celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Like many events, the Boston Tea Party was complex with both positive and negative aspects. On the negative side, it involved the illegal destruction of approximately $1.7M worth of tea in today’s money (George Washington condemned the destruction at the time). But on balance, The Preamblist Movement celebrates this event as a net positive. We celebrate that it was against an act of the British government that, if not resisted, would have provided the British East India Company with a virtual monopoly on tea in the colonies by undercutting local merchants. We celebrate that it was against a government which did not grant representation to the colonists in Parliament and included a monarch. We celebrate that it was carefully planned and targeted so that no one was physically hurt and that the destruction of property was limited to the tea of the British East India Company (the ships, which were owned by Americans, were not damaged). Do you think this event was a net positive or net negative? https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/boston-tea-party-facts ; #OnThisDay, #onthisdayinhistory, #AmericanHistory

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December 17- on this day in 1944- The US government finally starts to bring a great wrong to an end when it rescinds the World War II internment of Americans of Japanese ancestry. Until this date, ~110,000 people, most of them American citizens, had been in harsh internment camps for about two and a half years. At the same time, 33,000 Americans of Japanese descent served in US military, many with distinction in combat. No Americans of Japanese descent were ever convicted of spying for Japan. Let’s ensure our government:

-never again questions the loyalty of Americans because of race or ancestry,

-never takes away the “liberty” stated in the preamble to the Constitution based on race or ancestry,

-always recognizes that the “justice” stated in the preamble to the Constitution means we are never supposed to judge someone based on race or ancestry.

-always honors the words in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence that “all mean are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

What do you think we can learn from this today?

https://www.politico.com/.../us-rescinds-internment-of...

#OnThisDay, #onthisdayinhistory, #JapaneseAmericanHistory, #Preamble; #equality

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December 24- We celebrate the actions of black civil rights activists in Tallahassee, Florida on this day in 1956. They had already been engaged in a seven-month boycott of the city buses to protest segregation. On this day, they launched a new tactic: they returned to riding the buses, but defiantly sat in seats reserved for whites. This initiative was to test whether a recent court ruling (Browder v. Gayle) that declared segregation on buses unconstitutional in Montgomery, Alabama, would also be enforced in Florida. The activists did this knowing they risked arrest and violence. Due to the boycott and this new action, buses in Tallahassee were integrated by summer. It was brave actions like these that ensured we moved closer to the ideals of “all men are created equal” in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence and “justice” and “liberty” in the preamble to the Constitution. What actions should we take today to move closer to the preambles? www.preamblism.org

https://images.app.goo.gl/BDEKwxF54Pjg54Pz7 #OnThisDay#onthisdayinhistory, #civilrights, #Preamble

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January 6- Preamblism honors and thanks the brave police officers who on this day in 2021 protected our elected officials and our democracy during the storming of the capital building. Here are some but by no means all of the police heroes of that day:

US Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, a US Army veteran who served in Iraq, intentionally baited rioters into chasing him away from the Senate chamber before it was fully evacuated thereby saving elected officials in both parties from possible harm. Republican Senator Ben Sasse credited Goodman with having "single-handedly prevented untold bloodshed". Goodman also led Republican Senator Mitt Romney away from rioters. https://youtu.be/sfNozWpeBU8

D.C. Police Officer Daniel Hodges was crushed trying to stop the rioters from breaching the entrance in the tunnel on the western side of the building. https://youtu.be/7eQoda_QLIA

Officer Michael Fanone self-deployed to the Capitol and was pulled into the crowd, beaten and tased causing a heart attack, concussion, traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder. https://youtu.be/iAKyJQqcl0s

How should we honor their sacrifice?

#OnThisDay; #OnThisDayInHistory

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January 15, 1929- The birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a great hero of Preamblism. He often referred to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. In his last speech he stated, “...when students all over the South started sitting-in at lunch counters. And I knew that as they were sitting in, they were really standing up for the best in the American dream, and taking the whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.” In his “I Have a Dream Speech” he stated, “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men — yes, Black men as well as white men — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” And “So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”. On his birthday, how can we today best ensure that this nation will “live out the true meaning of its creed?” https://images.app.goo.gl/3FUC48NhShqJfK8X7

#ThisDay; #OnThisDay, #onthisdayinhistory, #ThisDayInHistory, #MLKDay, #Preamble, #allmenarecreatedequal

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January 20- On this day in 1955, students conducted an anti-segregation lunch counter sit-in in the flagship of Read’s drug store chain in downtown Baltimore. This was the most famous of several sit-ins and protests in 1955 against the store’s racial segregation policy. The combination of these efforts made up one of the first sustained direct action campaigns against segregation and involved some of the earliest lunch counter sit-ins of the civil rights movement and this campaign worked. Two days after the January 20th sit-in, Read’s owner ended the segregation policy at all 37 of its lunch counters which influenced several other Baltimore businesses to integrate too. This campaign inspired other sit-ins against segregation that helped to gradually integrate more businesses in other cities. The participants in these peaceful campaigns helped bring our country closer to the equality and liberty of the words in the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. These same ideals were celebrated 26 years later to the day, when President Reagan stated in his first inaugural address on January 20, 1981, “we are a united people pledged to maintaining a political system which guarantees individual liberty to a greater degree than any other”…“Well, this administration's objective will be a healthy, vigorous, growing economy that provides equal opportunities for all Americans with no barriers born of bigotry or discrimination”… “We shall reflect the compassion that is so much a part of your makeup. How can we love our country and not love our countrymen; and loving them, reach out a hand when they fall, heal them when they're sick, and provide opportunity to make them self-sufficient so they will be equal in fact and not just in theory?”…“Well, I believe we, the Americans of today, are ready to act worthy of ourselves, ready to do what must be done to ensure happiness and liberty for ourselves, our children, and our children's children. And as we renew ourselves here in our own land, we will be seen as having greater strength throughout the world. We will again be the exemplar of freedom and a beacon of hope for those who do not now have freedom.” Later, these same ideals were again celebrated on January 20, 2009, when President Obama gave his first inaugural address in which he stated: “The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.”…"Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man -- a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience sake."…”For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.”..."This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall; and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath." This last quote brings us back full circle to the Read’s drug store of January 20, 1955 who would not have served President Obama’s father because of his race. Yet by 2008 the nation had come so far as to elect the first African American president. To me this is representative of the great path America has been on towards realizing the words of the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution- words such as equality and liberty- the same words spoken by a Republican President in his first inaugural address on January 20, 1981 and then spoken by a Democratic President in his first inaugural address on January 20, 2009. Are we still walking forward on this path or are we now crawling backwards? https://images.app.goo.gl/EsXquobWnRj22yQ56

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January 21- Since 1937, most presidential inaugurations happen on January 20th, except when January 20th falls on a Sunday, in which case the inauguration happens on the next day January 21. The two most recent ones on January 21st were President Reagan in 1985 for his second term and President Obama in 2013 also for his second term. What strikes me from both speeches is that despite the two Presidents being from different generations, different political parties, and having different beliefs in how to achieve their ideals, their ideals are similar to each other and reflect the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. They both call out freedom and liberty, equality, protecting future generations (our posterity), unity, general welfare (with calls to look after each other), and democracy. Likewise they both condemn prejudice and partisanship. The similarities in these speeches give me hope and belief. I believe that we can move forward as a united country because most of us, regardless of political party, have similar ideals such as these, even though we likely have different beliefs on the best methods to achieve these ideals. To me the key is retaining the system that allows us to respectfully debate our ideas and vote within a democracy. Do you generally agree? If so, what do you think is important to add to or tweak about my statements? If not, why not? Here are excerpts of both speeches:

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January 21, 1985- President Reagan’s second inaugural address (excepts): “We will not rest until every American enjoys the fullness of freedom, dignity, and opportunity as our birthright.” “We must think anew and move with a new boldness, so every American who seeks work can find work, so the least among us shall have an equal chance to achieve the greatest things—to be heroes who heal our sick, feed the hungry, protect peace among nations, and leave this world a better place.” “We must act now to protect future generations from government's desire to spend its citizens' money and tax them into servitude when the bills come due. Let us make it unconstitutional for the Federal Government to spend more than the Federal Government takes in.” “Our fundamental goals must be to reduce dependency and upgrade the dignity of those who are infirm or disadvantaged. And here, a growing economy and support from family and community offer our best chance for a society where compassion is a way of life, where the old and infirm are cared for, the young and, yes, the unborn protected, and the unfortunate looked after and made self-sufficient.” “As an older American, I remember a time when people of different race, creed, or ethnic origin in our land found hatred and prejudice installed in social custom and, yes, in law. There's no story more heartening in our history than the progress that we've made toward the brotherhood of man that God intended for us. Let us resolve there will be no turning back or hesitation on the road to an America rich in dignity and abundant with opportunity for all our citizens. Let us resolve that we, the people, will build an American opportunity society in which all of us—white and black, rich and poor, young and old—will go forward together, arm in arm. Again, let us remember that though our heritage is one of blood lines from every corner of the Earth, we are all Americans, pledged to carry on this last, best hope of man on Earth.” “We strive for peace and security, heartened by the changes all around us. Since the turn of the century, the number of democracies in the world has grown fourfold. Human freedom is on the march, and nowhere more so than in our own hemisphere. Freedom is one of the deepest and noblest aspirations of the human spirit. People, worldwide, hunger for the right of self-determination, for those inalienable rights that make for human dignity and progress. America must remain freedom's staunchest friend, for freedom is our best ally and it is the world's only hope to conquer poverty and preserve peace. Every blow we inflict against poverty will be a blow against its dark allies of oppression and war. Every victory for human freedom will be a victory for world peace. So, we go forward today, a nation still mighty in its youth and powerful in its purpose. With our alliances strengthened, with our economy leading the world to a new age of economic expansion, we look to a future rich in possibilities. And all of this is because we worked and acted together, not as members of political parties but as Americans.” “It is the American sound. It is hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent, and fair. That's our heritage, that's our song. We sing it still. For all our problems, our differences, we are together as of old.” source: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/docu.../inaugural-address-10

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January 21, 2013- President Obama’s second inaugural address (excerpts): “Each time we gather to inaugurate a President we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this Nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional—what makes us American—is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today we continue a never-ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they've never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth.” “Through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, we learned that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free. We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together.” “Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable and protect its people from life's worst hazards and misfortune.” “But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.” “Now more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation and one people.” “My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it—so long as we seize it together.” “For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America's prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American; she is free and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God, but also in our own.” “But while the means will change, our purpose endures: a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American. That is what this moment requires. That is what will give real meaning to our creed. We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity.” “We do not believe that in this country freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss or a sudden illness or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other through Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, these things do not sap our initiative, they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great. We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms.” “We will support democracy from Asia to Africa, from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice—not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity, human dignity and justice. We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths—that all of us are created equal—is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls and Selma and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.” “For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law—for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity—until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia, to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm. That is our generation's task—to make these words, these rights, these values of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for every American. Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life. It does not mean we all define liberty in exactly the same way or follow the same precise path to happiness. Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act in our time. For now decisions are upon us and we cannot afford delay. We cannot mistake absolutism for principle or substitute spectacle for politics or treat name-calling as reasoned debate. We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act, we must act knowing that today's victories will be only partial and that it will be up to those who stand here in 4 years and 40 years and 400 years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall. My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction.” source: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/docu.../inaugural-address-15 ; https://www.aoc.gov/what.../programs-ceremonies/inauguration #allmenarecreatedequal; #bipartisanship, #democracy, #freedom, #liberty

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January 28- today The Preamblist Movement celebrates the anniversary of the launch of PEPFAR. In his State of the Union Address of 2003, President George W. Bush announced the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which has, as of 2023, saved an estimated 25 million lives and prevented millions of HIV infections primarily in Africa. PEPFAR is a shining example of what we can do as a country when we put aside aside our partisan differences, unite around our common compassion, recognize that helping others is not only right, but also in our national interest, and combine expertise from the private and public sector with the best science (a major part of PEPFAR was distributing anti-retroviral drugs which were a result of years of scientific research). As President Bush stated in his speech, “Today, on the continent of Africa, nearly 30 million people have the AIDS virus -- including 3 million children under the age 15. There are whole countries in Africa where more than one-third of the adult population carries the infection. More than 4 million require immediate drug treatment. Yet across that continent, only 50,000 AIDS victims -- only 50,000 -- are receiving the medicine they need…Because the AIDS diagnosis is considered a death sentence, many do not seek treatment. Almost all who do are turned away. A doctor in rural South Africa describes his frustration. He says, ‘We have no medicines. Many hospitals tell people, you've got AIDS, we can't help you. Go home and die.’ In an age of miraculous medicines, no person should have to hear those words. AIDS can be prevented. Anti-retroviral drugs can extend life for many years. And the cost of those drugs has dropped from $12,000 a year to under $300 a year -- which places a tremendous possibility within our grasp. Ladies and gentlemen, seldom has history offered a greater opportunity to do so much for so many. We have confronted, and will continue to confront, HIV/AIDS in our own country. And to meet a severe and urgent crisis abroad, tonight I propose the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief -- a work of mercy beyond all current international efforts to help the people of Africa.” Three days later President Bush stated, “We have a chance to achieve a more compassionate world for every citizen. America believes deeply that everybody has worth, everybody matters, everybody was created by the Almighty, and we're going to act on that belief and we'll act on that passion.” This belief can be found in our founding documents, when the preamble to the Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and when the preamble to the Constitution states “in order to…promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Therefore, Preamblists believe that the compassion that President Bush references when setting up PEPFAR is a fundamental value of America from its founding and is one that unites us as a people. Preamblists believe this American compassion is in the world’s and also our national interest: as President Bush wrote, “I was confident I could explain how saving lives in Africa served our strategic and moral interests. Healthier societies would be less likely to breed terror or genocide. They would be more prosperous and better able to afford our goods and services. People uncertain of America’s motives would see our generosity and compassion. And I believed the American people would be more supportive if we could show that their tax dollars were saving lives.” Can we, as a country, unite around our compassion and replicate what worked in PEPFAR to solve issues today and into the future? https://files.hiv.gov/.../PEPFAR_WAD-2022_Infographic_Web... ; #PEPFAR, #PEPFARat20, #allmenarecreatedequal, #Preamble, #hivaids, #antiretroviraltherapy, #compassion

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February 3- Today we celebrate the anniversary of the 1870 ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment which states, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Unfortunately, state governments did (and sometimes still do) get around this constitutional amendment. To maximize voting by the full diversity of this great country, The Preamblist Movement supports more polling places in locations easily accessible to all people and other measures that make voting easier for all. Steps like these are important to ensure we live up to the value of "consent of the governed" in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the spirit of "We the People" that starts the preamble to the Constitution. Do you agree? What is the best action we can take to make voting easier for all? https://images.app.goo.gl/6QnzGiViqYhufKFE7 #ConsentOfTheGoverned, #Preamble, #WeThePeople, #FifteenthAmendment, #GetOutTheVote

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February 11, 1937- anniversary of one of the first major victories for a labor union in the US as a result of the Flint, Michigan United Auto Workers strike of 1937. Before the victory, auto workers were paid less than a living wage for a family of four and worked in dangerous and sometimes deadly conditions with “mercilessly” fast assembly lines. After 44 days of a sit-in strike at multiple General Motors plants, the company gave workers a 5% pay increase and allowed workers to join the union. In several previous major strikes, such as the Homestead Steel Strike of 1892, the Pullman Strike of 1894, and the Great Steel Strike of 1919, the government violated its duty to the people by helping the companies violently break the strike with police or troops. But in the Flint strike, the government recognized that they should not use violence on common citizens trying to achieve the American dream. Michigan Governor Frank Murphy stated, “If I send those soldiers right in on the men,” he said, “there’d be no telling how many would be killed…The state authorities will not take sides. They (the National Guard) are here only to protect the public peace.” The sit-in became known as the “strike heard around the world.” The success of this strike inspired more workers to join unions, more strikes, and more companies to pay higher wages. I honor this moment because I believe that all workers deserve safe working conditions and a living wage so they can provide for their families through the dignity of their own labor. I believe this is in line with the preamble to the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” I also believe this is in line with the preamble to the Constitution when it declares “We the People” and calls for “general Welfare,” and “the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” I believe that our government should prevent corporations from taking advantage of workers. Although I don’t agree with all labor union positions, I believe that they play an important role in our country. What are your thoughts? https://www.abc12.com/news/business/how-an-auto-workers-strike-87-years-ago-transformed-america/article_b29d2dd6-6454-5e33-8064-fa399817a5d6.html #allmenarecreatedequal, #lifelibertyandthepursuitofhappiness, #WeThePeople, #GeneralWelfare, #blessingsofliberty, #union

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February 17, 1964- Wesberry v. Sanders decided by Supreme Court, a decision we celebrate because it is consistent with the value of "we the people" in the preamble to the Constitution as well as the values of "all men are created equal" and "consent of the governed" in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. James Wesberry lived in the Fifth Congressional District in Georgia “the population of which is two to three times greater than that of some other congressional districts in the State.” Georgia was not alone- several states had districts of unequal population especially diluting the vote of urban districts. Wesberry and team believed that “Since there is only one Congressman for each district, this inequality of population means that the Fifth District's Congressman has to represent from two to three times as many people as do Congressmen from some of the other Georgia districts…Claiming that these population disparities deprived them and voters similarly situated of a right under the Federal Constitution to have their votes for Congressmen given the same weight as the votes of other Georgians.” The Supreme Court agreed with Wesberry and ruled that “The Constitution requires that members of the House of Representatives be selected by districts composed, as nearly as is practicable, of equal population…It would be extraordinary to suggest that, in such statewide elections, the votes of inhabitants of some parts of a State, for example, Georgia's thinly populated Ninth District, could be weighted at two or three times the value of the votes of people living in more populous parts of the State, for example, the Fifth District around Atlanta…We do not believe that the Framers of the Constitution intended to permit the same vote-diluting discrimination to be accomplished through the device of districts containing widely varied numbers of inhabitants. To say that a vote is worth more in one district than in another would not only run counter to our fundamental ideas of democratic government, it would cast aside the principle of a House of Representatives elected "by the People," a principle tenaciously fought for and established at the Constitutional Convention…While it may not be possible to draw congressional districts with mathematical precision, that is no excuse for ignoring our Constitution's plain objective of making equal representation for equal numbers of people the fundamental goal for the House of Representatives. That is the high standard of justice and common sense which the Founders set for us…No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws under which, as good citizens, we must live. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined. Our Constitution leaves no room for classification of people in a way that unnecessarily abridges this right. In urging the people to adopt the Constitution, Madison said in No. 57 of The Federalist: ‘Who are to be the electors of the Federal Representatives? Not the rich more than the poor; not the learned more than the ignorant; not the haughty heirs of distinguished names more than the humble sons of obscure and unpropitious fortune. The electors are to be the great body of the people of the United States.’…Readers surely could have fairly taken this to mean, "one person, one vote." We thank the Supreme Court for this ruling- if they had ruled otherwise, imagine what shenanigans the two major political parties would get up to today beyond the gerrymandering they already do.

This ruling reminds me that the principle of “one person, one vote” does not hold in presidential elections because voters in smaller and swing states have greater influence over the outcome than others which is why several presidents have won the election despite losing the popular vote. This is one reason why we call for reform of the electoral college (including option to replace it with simple direct vote at a national level). Do you agree? #OnePersonOneVote; #democracy; #ElectoralCollege; #allmenarecreatedequal; #WeThePeople; #ConsentOfTheGoverned
https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts ;
; https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/376/1/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesberry_v._Shttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesberry_v._Shttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesberry_v._Shttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesberry_v._Sanders ; https://images.app.goo.gl/EEgFwBNXUdkFpy9CA :

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February 17, 1964- Wesberry v. Sanders decided by Supreme Court, a decision we celebrate because it is consistent with the value of "we the people" in the preamble to the Constitution as well as the values of "all men are created equal" and "consent of the governed" in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. James Wesberry lived in the Fifth Congressional District in Georgia “the population of which is two to three times greater than that of some other congressional districts in the State.” Georgia was not alone- several states had districts of unequal population especially diluting the vote of urban districts. Wesberry and team believed that “Since there is only one Congressman for each district, this inequality of population means that the Fifth District's Congressman has to represent from two to three times as many people as do Congressmen from some of the other Georgia districts…Claiming that these population disparities deprived them and voters similarly situated of a right under the Federal Constitution to have their votes for Congressmen given the same weight as the votes of other Georgians.” The Supreme Court agreed with Wesberry and ruled that “The Constitution requires that members of the House of Representatives be selected by districts composed, as nearly as is practicable, of equal population…To say that a vote is worth more in one district than in another would not only run counter to our fundamental ideas of democratic government, it would cast aside the principle of a House of Representatives elected "by the People,"...No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws under which, as good citizens, we must live. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined. Our Constitution leaves no room for classification of people in a way that unnecessarily abridges this right.” We thank the Supreme Court for this ruling- if they had ruled otherwise, imagine what shenanigans the two major political parties would get up to today beyond the gerrymandering they already do.
#allmenarecreatedequal ; #WeThePeople

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February 2024- this month we celebrate Wisconsin for adopting state legislative electoral maps that are much more competitive than the prior ones “that were recognized as among the most gerrymandered in the country.” As Democratic Governor Evers stated, “Wisconsin is not a red state or a blue state—we’re a purple state, and I believe our maps should reflect that basic fact” and “it is a new day in Wisconsin, and today is a beautiful day for democracy.” Republican Assembly Speaker Vos stated, “This fall Republicans will prove that we can win on any maps because we have the better policy ideas for the State of Wisconsin” which is good for democracy because policy ideas and the qualities of the candidates should drive election results instead of highly gerrymandered maps. When the gerrymandered maps were last used in the 2022 election, Republicans won 65 of 99 seats (64.6%), almost a supermajority, with just 55% of the vote. In the gerrymandered maps, “Fifty-five of the state’s 99 Assembly districts and 21 of 33 in the Senate contain ‘disconnected pieces of territory’” including the 68th district in purple in the picture below. Nationwide, both parties gerrymander. To me, it is undemocratic and a conflict of interest for a party to draw the maps that elect them. Therefore, I believe that independent citizens commissions are a much better way to draw representative electoral maps that are more likely to result in achieving the value of “consent of the governed” called for in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the value of “We the People” called for in the preamble to the Constitution. Since Wisconsin does not have an independent commission, I worry the parties will again gerrymander the maps in future. What do you think is the best way for states to draw electoral maps? https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/wisconsins-democratic-governor-signs-new-legislative-maps-law-107342751; https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts; https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/02/19/gov-tony-evers-signs-new-election-maps-ending-wiscoonsin-gerrymander/72602408007/ ; https://www.propublica.org/article/wisconsin-legislative-maps-bizarre-are-they-illegal

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On March 2, 1955, in Montgomery Alabama, Claudette Colvin, a black woman only 15 years old at the time, refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white woman who would not sit in the same row as her. When a traffic officer asked her why, she replied, “because it’s my constitutional right.” When two police officers boarded the bus to tell her to move, she refused. The police officers violently removed her from the bus and she became “the first person to be arrested for challenging Montgomery’s bus segregation laws” nine months before Rosa Parks was arrested. She later stated, “I could not move because history had me glued to the seat…Sojourner Truth’s hands were pushing me down on one shoulder and Harriet Tubman’s hands were pushing me down on another shoulder.” She had just finished learning about Black History since her school celebrated it for the entire month of February, “as we do now, because her teachers felt black people were absent from history books.” In the months after, several other black women also defied bus segregation in Montgomery. Three of these women agreed to be the main plaintiffs in a federal civil action lawsuit, known as Browder v. Gayle (1956) which ruled “the enforced segregation of black and white passengers on motor buses operating in the City of Montgomery violates the Constitution and laws of the United States” and led to Alabama desegregating its buses. We honor Colvin and her fellow plaintiffs in helping bring our country closer to the equality, liberty, and justice of the words in the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. How can we today best keep their struggle moving forward? https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/girl-who-acted-rosa-parks ; https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/picture-gallery/news/2019/12/01/rosa-parks-statue-bus-boycott-civil-rights/4346990002/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browder_v._Gayle; https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts #allmenarecreatedequal; #justice; #liberty; #preamble; #equality

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March 3, 1913- Between 5,000 and 10,000 women marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC in the “Woman Suffrage Procession.” This was “the first large, organized march on Washington for political purposes” and civil rights, setting the stage for all future ones in the nation’s capitol through today. The first float in the march stated, “"We demand an amendment to the Constitution of the United States enfranchising the women of this country" (which would later become known as “The Great Demand.”) The march was strategically and carefully organized especially in its timing which was the day before Woodrow Wilson’s presidential inauguration. In the program, the organizers stated “We march today to give evidence to the world of our determination, that this simple act of justice shall be done" and "in a spirit of protest against the present political organization of society, from which women are excluded." The participants proceeded bravely as police failed to control part of the crowd who spilled onto the street, insulting, spitting on, and physically assaulting the marchers. The participants held strong until army troops cleared the way for the march to continue. Especially brave were black women who took part despite facing racism and impediments from some of the other marchers. The press heavily and visibly covered the march and its aftermath for weeks. The march helped to energize the suffragette movement on a national stage and contributed to the passage six years later of the 19th Amendment which states “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” We thank these marchers for helping bring our country closer to the equality, liberty, and justice of the words in the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. I believe we need to continue the fight for gender equality because, for example, “In 2021, full-time, year-round working women typically earned 84 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts” and “ prohibition of sex discrimination is still not as strongly enforceable as prohibition of” some other forms of discrimination. I believe our country needs to enshrine the language of the Equal Rights Amendment “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex” in the Constitution— what do you think? https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts ; sources: https://www.nps.gov/articles/woman-suffrage-procession1913.htm ; https://wamu.org/story/19/03/28/suffragists-were-responsible-for-the-first-peaceful-march-on-washington/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution ; https://www.americanprogress.org/article/what-to-know-about-the-gender-wage-gap-as-the-equal-pay-act-turns-60/ ; https://www.equalrightsamendment.org/why ; #allmenarecreatedequal; #justice; #liberty; #preamble; #equality; #equalrightsamendment; #equalpay; #womensrights ; image: https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/suffrage/Pages/events/procession.aspx ;

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On March 9, 1954, Journalist Edward R. Murrow spoke out publicly and prominently against Senator Joseph McCarthy’s tactics on his TV show See it Now stating:

“No one familiar with the history of this country can deny that congressional committees are useful. It is necessary to investigate before legislating, but the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one, and the junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly. His primary achievement has been in confusing the public mind, as between the internal and the external threats of Communism. We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men—not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular.

This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy's methods to keep silent, or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result. There is no way for a citizen of a republic to abdicate his responsibilities. As a nation we have come into our full inheritance at a tender age. We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.

The actions of the junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad, and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn't create this situation of fear; he merely exploited it—and rather successfully. Cassius was right: ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.’”

This episode of the show helped to end McCarthyism. How does the statement above apply today?

My take as a Preamblist: Senator McCarthy was harmful to our country not because he investigated for enemies, but because he was quick to falsely label some as enemies of America. True enemies and traitors are those who are willing to use violence, espionage, and sabotage against Americans. Enemies are not those who simply hold a different point of view. Unfortunately and of course, just like in the time of McCarthy, there are true enemies operating here today. It is important to investigate for these true enemies to achieve the values in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence of “safety” and “security” and the values in the preamble to the Constitution of “domestic tranquility,” and “common defense.” But, we should not investigate in such a way that sacrifices other values in the preambles including “all men…are endowed with their Creator by certain unalienable rights that among these are…liberty,” and “justice.” The preamble to the Constitution states another value: “A More Perfect Union.” This is a value that McCarthy often violated by emphasizing divisions between Americans including by falsely and quickly labeling someone a “Communist” and enemy of America. Today, I hear politicians sow divisions by falsely and quickly labeling others as fascists, socialists, leftists, conservatives, RHINOS, and DINOS. These labels are harmful because they divide Americans into opposing groups. However, I believe most Americans are united by similar values and we have healthy differences of opinion in how to achieve those values. Additionally, many Americans do not neatly fit into a label- for example, someone may align with the Democratic Party on some issues but with the Republican party on others. I worry that if we continue to divide each other into opposing groups, we run the risk of falling to our true enemies- those who want to cause us great harm through violence, sabotage, and espionage. What do you think we can learn today from Murrow’s statement on March 9, 1954? image: https://www.azquotes.com/public/picture_quotes/66/be/66beb87a9531f971398c67030a2aa157/edward-r-murrow-400247.jpg

#justice ; #liberty

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On this day, March 16, in 1847, John Stark rescued nine people of the Donner Party, seven of them children, from Starved Camp in the Sierra Mountains in California. A few days earlier, Stark had volunteered to join a rescue party. During the trip he refused to accept any payment stating, “I will go without any reward beyond that derived from the consciousness of doing a good act.” Stark and the rescue party found eleven people alive in the mountains at the bottom of a 24-foot deep snow pit. The other two rescuers in the party grabbed one child each to bring to safety. Stark went even further and refused to leave anybody behind. He said, “I will not abandon these people.” At great risk to himself, he saved the remaining nine starving people who were so weak they could barely walk. Seven of the nine were children and Stark carried them much of the way down the mountain often two at time for a short distance, putting them down, and then going back multiple times to get the other children. One of the people that Stark rescued, James Breen, stated “To his great bodily strength, and unexcelled courage, myself and others owe our lives. There was probably no other man in California at that time, who had the intelligence, determination, and what was absolutely necessary to have in that emergency.” John Stark’s heroics in saving seven children whom he did not know is a great example of looking after the people of later generations, or “our posterity” as the the Preamble to the Constitution states in the phrase “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” Like John Stark, we should also help those of younger and future generations. Many of “our posterity” currently attend underfunded schools, live in dangerous neighborhoods, and over eleven million live in poverty. What do you think are the best ways to help them? https://thestormking.com/tahoe_nuggets/Nugget_57/nugget_57.html ; http://www.donnersummithistoricalsociety.org/pages/Restaurant/HeroismandPathosonDonnerSummit.html ; https://www.pewpewtactical.com/a-picture-from-history-john-stark/ ; https://datacenter.aecf.org/data/tables/43-children-in-poverty#detailed/1/any/false/1095,2048,1729,37,871,870,573,869,36,868/any/321,322 ; https://images.app.goo.gl/gYuLd26AoPTLv1WG6

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April 14, 2003- The Human Genome Project is declared complete after “generating the first sequence of the human genome.” The coordinating body of the project released the information on the Internet for all to use. Scientists, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies have and will continue to use this information to achieve major advances in medicine particularly in fighting cancer. The project was biology’s “moon shot,” “the world's largest collaborative biological project,” and “one of the greatest scientific feats in history.” It was funded by the US government National Institute of Health (NIH) and several other governments and groups around the world. The research was also collaborative and multinational with participation from twenty universities and research centers from the US, UK, China, Japan, France, and Germany. By advancing disease prevention and treatment, the project represented many of the values of both of the Preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution including “life,” “happiness” and “general welfare” (due to better health), “safety” and “future security” (from diseases), and “our posterity” (as this was a great investment in future generations). It is a great example of what humanity can achieve when we identify common goals and then work together across countries and governments, universities, scientific organizations, and the private sector. In my opinion, it is great example of how we can all benefit from an all-of-society approach including elements of “socialism” and “capitalism” combined with the best peer reviewed science, as opposed to letting unscientific biases and extreme interpretations of ideologies limit and divide us; what do you think? Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/KcFeTfb9i4s24ktw6 ; Sources: https://www.genome.gov/human-genome-project , https://www.icr.ac.uk/news-features/latest-features/how-the-human-genome-project-shook-the-world-of-cancer-research , https://www.britannica.com/event/Human-Genome-Project , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Genome_Project

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April 20, 1657- Jews of New Amsterdam (later New York City), gain freedom of religion and citizenship rights of the colony. “This marks the beginning of the largest Jewish city in the world with a larger Jewish community than Tel Aviv.” At the time, twenty-three of the Jews in the city were refugees who had arrived in 1654 fleeing persecution in Dutch Brazil (“the first organized Jewish migration to North America” and “widely commemorated as the starting point of the history of Jews in New York and the United States.”) The director-general of the colony, Peter Stuyvesant, was antisemitic and generally opposed to any religion besides his own. But the country of Holland allowed freedom of religion and after pressure and petition by the Jewish community within New Amsterdam (led by Asser Levy), the Dutch West India Company granted them “burgher” or citizenship rights. The British took control of the colony in 1664 and named it New York and “In part due to the large Jewish population in Manhattan, the English retained the Dutch’s policies of toleration.” The political philosophy of Preamblism celebrates freedom of religion and believes that the USA benefits greatly from diversity. The Preamble to the Declaration of Independence states "we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" and the Preamble to the Constitution proclaims as one of its purposes "to secure the blessings of liberty." Freedom of religion is essential for these values of equality, liberty, and happiness and is therefore essential to the USA achieving its purpose as stated in the preambles. To be clear, freedom of religion refers to liberty to practice one's own chosen religion and does not include infringing on the rights of others in the name of one’s religion. Do you agree? Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/sYRwxxxQAdWHiukL6; Sources: https://www.joodsamsterdam.nl/new-amsterdam-new-york/; https://www.historyandheadlines.com/history-april-20-1657-jews-new-amsterdam-given-religious-freedom/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_arrival_in_New_Amsterdam; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asser_Levy; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Stuyvesant; https://jewishcurrents.org/april-20-citizens-in-new-amsterdam; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_arrival_in_New_Amsterdam#:~:text=The%20Jewish%20arrival%20in%20New,the%20conquest%20of%20Dutch%20Brazil.; https://www.libertarianism.org/columns/soul-liberty-toleration-emergence-religious-freedom-colonies#:~:text=Pennsylvania%20and%20New%20York%20were,their%20establishment%20of%20religious%20freedom.

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April 27, 1860- Hundreds of Americans, including Harriet Tubman rescue escaped slave Charles Nalle from being arrested and returned to slavery. Nalle had escaped from slavery in Virginia about a year and a half earlier and, with the help of the Underground Railway, reached, lived, and worked in the Troy, NY area. Less than two years later, on April 27, a slave catcher and a deputy arrested Nalle under the Fugitive Slave Act and brought him to a local building to prepare to return him to Virginia. Word of the capture spread throughout the town, and hundreds of citizens (some report 2,000) gathered outside of the building. Although it seems too good to be true, Harriet Tubman was in town visiting her cousin that day and entered the building under disguise so that she could alert the crowd when Nalle was about to be brought outside. As he emerged from the building, Tubman grabbed and held onto Nalle. The crowd pulled Nalle to a boat which brought him across the Hudson River to the town of Watervilet where he was immediately arrested again and brought to another building. But, many in the crowd had also crossed the river. They struggled with the arresting officers who fired their guns and injured two, but the crowd overpowered them and escorted Nalle to safety. A few weeks later, citizens of Troy raised enough money to buy Nalle’s freedom enabling him to spend the rest of his life in freedom with his wife and family and a job at the post office. Although the crowd mobilized quite spontaneously, it grew so quickly and was so effective partly due to long-standing abolitionist organizations such as the Troy Vigilance Committee and the Underground Railroad. This event demonstrates what a large group of citizens can accomplish, especially with prior organization, to uphold the values of: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the values of "justice” and “liberty” in the Preamble to the Constitution. Therefore, today and in the future, we should also organize ourselves into groups that promote these values so that we are prepared for the possibility of needing to mobilize in an instant to defend them. Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/vEReDbdWqJrrU4iH7 ; For sources see: https://www.preamblist.org/timeline-key-historic-events

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May 5, 1805- On this day, Mary Dixon Kies became one of the first women to receive a U.S. patent in her own name for an invention that helped the American economy during a severe recession. The US economy was struggling due to significantly less trade with Europe during the Napoleonic Wars. Meanwhile, women could not vote and their property belonged to their father, husband, or other male relative, but the government had recently passed the 1790 Patent Act which enabled “any person or persons” to apply. Under this law, Kies received a patent for a process she invented for weaving straw and silk together in making hats. The process was widely used for a decade helping to grow the industry and the U.S. economy including during the War of 1812 and First Lady Dolly Madison wrote a letter to Kies praising her invention. What can we learn from this today? That we benefit as a country when we pass laws that enable ALL members of society to contribute their talents, laws that are consistent with the equality and liberty called for in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence that help produce the “general welfare” stated in the Preamble to the Constitution. What laws, if any, do you think the government should pass or repeal today to help ensure ALL people can contribute their talents to society? Sources: https://www.invent.org/inductees/mary-dixon-kies; sources and image: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-mary-kies-americas-first-woman-become-patent-holder-180959008/#:~:text=Women%20make%20history%20all%20the,woman%20to%20receive%20a%20patent.