It's Not the Constitution . . .

 It's How You Use It

I should start by saying that I sat down to write about the gun-inflicted tragedy in Texas way back in May (of course, followed by several others since.) I thought I had something to say about guns and death and stupidity and Americans but I don’t, there’s just no point. But it did bring me an epiphany about the Constitution.

Some time ago I wrote a  couple of posts, one was titled “I Blame the Constitution” and the other, "A Conversation with the Founding Fathers." (This one will complete the trifecta of boring stuff like why our country sucks now.) Anywhoo, they were kinda tongue in cheek – but kinda not. I was trying to make a point that several of the “unique” items in the Constitution – like the 2^nd amendment, electoral college, overbearing state's rights, life terms for Supreme Court, etc - were at least partially responsible for some of our many problems today. I was sure if the Founding Fathers revisited us today they would consider those mistakes or at least think they would have been updated. 

I now admit I was wrong. No, they would think that the government is finally functioning exactly as intended - it barely works at all!

Yet it's wrong to blame the Constitution for what is happening in the country, that’s just a cop out. For at least the first couple hundred years we were able to accomplish great things with this same document. Sure, there were flare ups, including a big one from 1861-1865, but somehow life went on and we managed to act like a single country. Now, as Simon and Garfunkel sang, “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?”

Huh, our typical dinner was mac and cheese and ring baloney

I am no sentimental old fool yearning for the good old days of my youth - a time that didn’t really exist for most people. My experience as a (lower) middle class white guy was very different than that of millions and millions of people of different gender, color, race and religions. Yet it seems like there were some things we could all depend on as Americans.

At one time, despite being a country of diverse people - many with funny accents and weird diets (talking about southerners here) - we all felt comfortable calling each other “Fellow Americans.” That no longer exists.

For nearly thirty years in the military, I visited states all over the country - north and south, east and west – and not once did I hear the terms “red” or “blue.” Sorry, that’s no longer true.

Traveling all over the world, from Tampa to Thailand, I was always happy to bump into other Americans – black, white, rich, poor - there was never a thought about where they came from or what their political leanings were, we were just Americans. Nope, that’s gone.

My dad had an 8^th grade education but was the smartest man I knew and he always had a job. Maybe not great jobs or fancy jobs but good enough that we lived in a house, I had a bike and food and wore clean (patched) clothes. And it never occurred to us that we were poor. Most everyone we knew was like us and they didn’t know they were poor either. That’s long gone. (Today, you know if you’re poor (or middle class - and it’s apparently your fault.)

There was a time not so long ago when our political parties, while strongly disagreeing about certain things, generally agreed that the USA was about democracy, progress and optimism; trying to do the best for all of us. Now? They (and we) don’t even agree on what any of those terms mean.

So, how did we go from Valley Forge to “I won’t wear a mask?” What happened to our country? I believe I have the answer - we all became Constitution experts!

Hey, I've seen that somewhere . . .

I think it started with Reagan and his “the government is the enemy” stuff. Boy, it certainly did become one! Unions? Out! Tax cuts and deficits? In! Pensions out? 401K in! Regulated markets out? Greed and graft (and huge income inequality?) In! And from there, it was all downhill. 

Politicians (can you say Newt Gingrich?) started weaponizing the Constitution. Of course, old Newt had lots of help from the other party - it takes a bipartisan effort and the media to screw up an entire country. They (we?) use every Amendment and Article to advance our political and petty personal agendas; actual needs of the average person be damned! Guns, voting rights, healthcare, religion, education - there is no problem or issue for which freedom FROM government isn’t the cure (just like tax cuts.) The Constitution says so - FREEDOM! 

Free at last, free at last, thank God I’m free . . . to live like a serf!

The Constitution is an exceptional document and it was the foundation for the richest and most powerful country in history. Yet we accomplished many of those great things because we did NOT treat the Constitution like it’s the Bible; it's just a document. (In fact, almost no one treats the actual Bible like the Bible!) Supreme Court attempts notwithstanding, it can’t be done. 

Well, that's my theory, folks. Right or wrong, we we have some difficult decisions to make.

It is said that all empires collapse from within. It would be the ultimate irony – and tragedy – if the United States were to collapse because we failed to use the Constitution properly. Or because we finally just give up on it.

Oh yeah, about gun violence. Simple: dead kids should always trump a piece of parchment, right? Right?! Probably not, just more "freedom" than our kids can live with.

If only we still lived in Johnny Cougar's country. . . 

Our Country John Mellencap