WHO DECIDES?
Is it more important what rules we all live by, or who decides what rules we all live by?
IS THE CONSTITUTION OUTDATED, OR BRILLIANT?
I don’t know about you, but I like illustrations. I find that often I may believe myself to be fully persuaded of a matter, but if I am forced to consider the underlying principals through a different lens, I may reconsider my opinion. This is one aspect of reason, and I believe that it is a valuable instrument in the pursuit of truth, (coupled with a reverence for scripture.)
With that said, let’s think about something. I am what some call, “a morning person.” I wake at about 3:45 am each morning, (I am neither bragging, or complaining.) I am stating a fact. After a full day of work, and interactions with friends, family, and others, once I park my bottom in a chair, it is not long before I will be sleeping. If I am not fully engaged in something that needs my attention, I will doze off.
Likely, these facts don’t apply to you. I am aware of exactly no-one who shares this attribute. Most people that I know look forward to the evening when they can relax into something that they find pleasurable, like reading. My very own dad is one of them.
If I plan to read anything in the evening, including my Bible, or any luring literary work, I will will end up reading, and re-reading the first, or first few paragraphs till I give up and go to bed. For this reason, I get up early, and tackle my reading, and writing before my day begins. For instance, it is 4:38 am. right now, I’ve read my Bible, and I’m typing away to share my thoughts with you, though you probably will not read them for many hours.
Ok, for the afore mentioned illustration. Suppose that you were required to rise at 3:45 am, as I do, how would you feel about that? Likewise, how would you feel about requiring me to get up at, “a more civilized time?” Both of these options would equate to tyranny.
Why would these two situations exemplify tyranny? Would it not be because someone is determining what is best for another? Is it not better that I decide what is civilized in my life, and you to decide for yourself?
The quandary here is based upon who gets to decide, and the answer is the difference between liberty, and tyranny.
Let’s apply this to governance. Our forefathers, and the framers of our Constitution were brilliant thinkers. They were concerned with liberty for themselves, their neighbors, their partners in commerce, and their families. They struggled with concepts of the various forms of civilized government, noted their benefits, and short-comings, and they established a constitutional republic, believing that this is the vehicle that provides maximum liberty.
Some say that they were not smart enough to foresee the gadgets, that we have, or the situations we might find ourselves in, or the complexities of modern society in the 21st century. To them I say, bravo! You are correct. Some believe that therefore the US Constitution is an outdated document, pertaining to modern governance. To them I say they do not know their constitution.
If such a governing document were to become insufficient to changing times, what could make it able to remain applicable? Would it not be the ability to be amended to correct for changing times, and situations? The brilliance of our Constitution is that this was foreseen, and provided for in the fifth article. The question is not whether the Constitution would need to be amended, but who is authorized to amend it.
WHO DECIDES? This is the important question, for you, for me, and even more importantly, for the rising generations.
Article V, Convention of States.
https://conventionofstates.com/latest
God bless you, Dave