Saw an interesting film about Hubert Humphrey last night
It was "Hubert Humphrey, the Art of the Possible" A broad range of discussion topics could be raised, but what I found striking was his take on 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.
He focused on the verbs, and made the case that our government was set up to be an active player in our society. Domestic tranquility, justice, common defense and general welfare don't just happen, we have to work to insure, provide, and promote them.
Tea party types see WE THE PEOPLE in huge type and think (or have the thought supplied to them) "It's we the people, not we the government", missing the point that We the People is the government. I can't respect a party that says its core is the Constitution, but doesn't read or comprehend the fine print.
The whole thing is set up ensure that entities with concentrated wealth and/or power are held in check if they are detrimental to the common welfare. We are living in times that have those who would be restrained by such checks convincing huge numbers of voters that the government is the enemy, the other. An agency set up to make sure your water is safe to drink is portrayed as a job killer, and idiots take the bait.
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