Happy 223rd, Constitution!

It's Constitution Day, and as befitting a modern American holiday, there are things to see and things to do and things to buy. Click here.

The actual U.S. Constitution in so many words is here. It's only about 8,000 words, more than a third of which are the 27 Amendments. Go on, read it. You won't find "god" or "abortion" or "gay" in there once.

Finish up with the traditional Constitution Day history lesson at They Gave Us Republic .... in which you will learn where the blog name came from.

If you don't know the Preamble by heart, memorize it now. It says everything you need to know:

We the People Not we the corporations, not we the rich and powerful, not we the white, male and christian. We. the. People.

of the United States, Not the 13 individual colonies of the failed Articles of Incorporation. The UNITED States. E Pluribus Unum.

in Order to form a more perfect Union, Because the Articles of Confederation truly sucked, creating the chaos of bickering siblings rather than a nation.

establish Justice, Justice - what a concept! Not arbitrary enforcement and punishment based on personal wealth and influence. Justice.

insure domestic Tranquility, through federal primacy over disputes between states

provide for the common defence, as George Washington had just proved worked quite well

promote the general Welfare, This means everyone does better when everyone does better. In other words - a strong middle class, no extreme wealth and no extreme poverty

and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, By creating a Constitution both fundamental and flexible, to bend to the winds of modernity, but stand strong against the floods of tyranny

do ordain and establish Not suggest, not propose, not discuss: ordain and establish

this Constitution Not this letter, not this essay, not this meditation: this Constitution

for the United States of America. Not for just the republican-voting states, not for just the high-population or wealthy states, for the United States.

If you can read the Preamble out loud without choking up, you're doing it wrong.