We are going to quote the constitution piece by piece, and provide comments on them. We ask that readers provide their thoughts and insights to each section.
We the People of the United States in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, 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.
The first section : "We the people of the United States", indicates that the framers of the Constitution, although probably considered the elite of the time, recognized that this country they were forming was to be made up of common people, not one developed by kings, gods or aristocracy, courts or legislatures. This is the principle known as Popular Sovereignty. They realized that without the support of "the common man" there would be anarchy and revolution from within.
You will note that there was no mention of we the priveleged class; or we the members of a certain policital, or social, or religious, or moral persuasion, but rather just "We the people". This could have been the case, considering the make up of the framers, but the founding fathers knew that power comes from the people, and without the support of the people, power would be fleeting and meaningless. However, did this include everyone in the United States? Women were not included, nor were slaves, Indians, or white males who did not own property. Of course, in later years amendments were made to the Constitution to include all groups.
Give us your thoughts on this first excerpt.
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