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Because of the Constitution, Not in Spite of It

immigrant

Ain’t it amazing when you hear people talk about the US as those who have something real to compare it to? Whether by default or design, they are embracing all the freedoms that go along with our spiritual / moral heritage. This is the very thing that the Left wants to retool, believing it to be antiquated and even sinister.

I’m working on a project right now based on an article in the New York Times written by an African American who believes the Constitution to be toxic in that it was written and ratified by a group of men, many of whom were slave owners. What I find ironic about his platform is that he’s demonizing the very paradigm that gives him the right to be critical. The Bill of Rights was written by James Madison. On June 8, 1789, he addressed the Congress and insisted that the Constitution would not be complete unless amendments were added that explicitly protected individual rights. These would be the first ten amendments made to the Constitution and among them were the Freedom of Speech and the Freedom of the Press.

James Madison was a slave owner.

Granted, the irony is obvious. How can a man who views an entire race of human beings as nothing more than pieces of property to be bought and sold not recognize how that view compromises the declared scope of the Constitution as well as the Declaration of Independence? But in the end, the quality and durability of the Constitution is not measure by the moral flaws of the men that wrote it. Rather, it’s gauged according to the substance of the document itself.

In this journalist’s case, it’s not just the Bill of Rights he should be considering. It’s also the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments that were made by the Republican party1 in the aftermath of the Civil War – the only war that was fought in the history of our planet that was waged for the sake of eliminating the sin of slavery. The 13th amendment banned slavery, the 14th amendment defined a citizen as anyone born in the US which overturned an earlier ruling that prohibited Black people from voting, and the 15th amendment was an expansion of the 14th amendment. It prohibited governments from denying US citizens the right to vote based on race, color or past servitude.

Like so many on the Left who labor to promote convictions based on a very judiciously selected collection of facts in a way to muffle the truth, is not only flawed, it’s downright belligerent. 360,000 Caucasians died to ensure the end of slavery as well as create the political environment that would allow for the aforementioned amendments. By condemning the Constitution, you sneer at the very laws that give you the right to mock your government without fear of punishment. It’s this same legal foundation that provides you the opportunity to live in a land that affords you the opportunity to succeed and grow. And none of this came about without the blood and sacrifice of millions of people in the context of wars that were fought to protect those freedoms.

In short, the Oath of Allegiance that an immigrant has to state in order to become a citizen is something they embrace as a privilege. It includes supporting and defending the Constitution. They joyfully swear their allegiance to our country and its laws because they appreciate the profound rights guaranteed by the philosophical and legislative foundation crafted by flawed men, no doubt, but based on Divine Absolutes that prevent the corruption of power from restricting an individual’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The video clip featured on the right is more than just an inspiring scene of individuals realizing their dream of citizenship in the US. It’s a reminder that we are still a beacon of hope and opportunity for much of the civilized world. And we are that because of the Constitution, not in spite of it.

 

1. 13th Amendment – James Mitchell Ashley of Ohio (Republican)14th Amendment – John A Bingham of Ohio (Republican)15th Amendment – John A Bingham of Ohio (Republican)