CONSTITUTIONAL CONVERSATIONS
True Transformational Change
by
M.E. Boyd, Esq., “Miss Constitution”
AOC, as she is called, has come out in her role as a Congressman from NY, to shake a moral finger at America and call for “transformational change.” Senator Bernie Sanders has called for “political revolution.”
Miss Constitution agrees that we do need transformational change and a political revolution. Miss Constitution thinks that the Sovereign needs to put everything we are doing down and attend to the business of the nation and the common good of all our people. Miss Constitution means it – put everything down, now, and attend to the business of your nation. (Miss Constitution noticed that she had to repeat herself until you took your headphones off.)
Here is what has happened:
*the engine of our prosperity, the private sector, has a large amount of built-up sludge from poor fuel and needs to be cleaned out
*a functioning national government has lost its lubrication and is frozen in place similar to the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz.
*we have lost our joy in a communal body
Starting with the third point first, David Brooks, New York Times columnist, has a new book out called The Second Mountain. In it he calls us to a “thick” life of meaning that embraces fervent commitments, a connection to the common good, and the happiness one can feel in pursuing moral joy. For Mr. Brooks, permanent joy is acknowledgement of the Soul and its fusion with righteousness, joining us together in a citizen-based community of caring. This is exactly what the Founders had in mind. Through our national Constitution, part of POSITIVE LAW, they structured our society as local, as personal, as shared duty to each other, as grateful to our Creator and best established through the NATURAL LAW of liberty and the proper pursuit of happiness. The idea of their statecraft was that government is effective but limited; competent but not intrusive; supportive but not enabling. They understood that no government bureaucrat can replace the warm embrace of a neighbor, nor should they. Plenary (general) power was to be nearest the citizen; corruption was to be minimized. More and bigger governments smother this “thick” life of connection and replace it with the cold, sterile, and bloodless hand of the state.
The functioning of our national government, the second point, so important in helping maintain a stable social order and provide essential security, was to be collaborative. Each branch of the federal government has its own peculiar domain but all are to work together for the common good. UNWRITTEN LAW, respect, deference, comity, compromise, courtesy, was to be the lubricant for all this to work. The oil can is empty. There is no joy is what they are doing and saying. Many are impudent, condescending, and insulting to the Sovereign — the People. Many have forgotten they are servants not masters. If some of these elected and non-elected persons were teenagers parental steps would be taken. FIRM PARENTAL STEPS WOULD BE TAKEN.
Finally, the poor engine of our prosperity cannot get the proper fuel it needs to really hum along nicely. If you have ever been to a classic car show and looked at the motors of some of the restored cars you will see a real engine. Even Miss Constitution thinks these are a thing of beauty. The fuel for this national engine consists of a blend of individuals with morality, with heart, with energy, with talent, with a sense of duty to employees, to customers, and to the country. This pure fuel creates the least amount of sludge. There is joy is providing benefits to your employees as a sign of appreciation for doing business in America and as a relief to the taxpayer. There is a joy in being careful about what you are doing so that people are not hurt and the country not injured by your actions. The private sector is subject to the same MORAL LAW as individuals.
So, “yes”, we need a transformational change to recapture the brilliant, practical, empirical system that the Founders created. The Episcoal Bishop of Maryland calls for reparations to “repair” and we do need to repair what has stopped working; what is sputtering; and what is not joyful. We do this, not with money, but with our attention to it. Among other things we need to:
*stop poisoning our children’s minds and re-institute knowledge of and fidelity to the nation, its institutions, its founding philosophies, its history, and its required duties
*hold the private sector responsible for its obligations to the nation and to each of its employees including the education it can share regarding upward mobility and advanced training
*tell public servants to either get along or get out
The Second Mountain for our country is a re-connection to the understanding that we are one nation, under God, with a Soul, and that we are personally obligated to create “thick” commitments to one another as a part of the common good. The Founders knew this; they believed this; some gave their lives and fortunes for this. Can we all not put down our earbuds for just a moment and help? This would be the political revolution that would honor their sacrifice and get our hearts and our engine humming along nicely again.
Copyright©2019 M.E. Boyd, Esq., “Miss Constitution”
