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There is an urgent need for a life raft, a boat we might have missed, or simply more room in our brains for common sense.  We can’t afford to be too busy, selfish, or jaded to discern who we are as Americans.  Have we been led into murky waters or encouraged to believe senselessness is better than brain power?   And, most importantly, do we care enough to make a change?

Instead of studying someone else’s governing ideas, let’s urgently return to the fundamental principles of American Government 101.  In our study, we might recall a group of individuals who gathered and contemplated the future for all the citizens who call America home.   

Those who run for office America or hold positions of power should urgently go back to school and study the first profound words in the Preamble to our Constitution.  It’s crucial that we remember the message and apply it to our governance.

Today, gunshots ring in my ears, along with a string of lies, threats, and hateful rhetoric.  Pets being eaten, children being murdered, and wars being fought are enough to rattle our minds and depress even Santa.   Using any or all of it to gain political power is immoral and against our founding principles.

Winning, for many, has become more important than doing what is right.  We all know it, but when in murky water, we can’t see clearly, much less have enough sense to swim out.   

The threats of civil war, riots in the streets, election interference, burned books, hate-filled social media, and bias have twisted themselves into a web of distrust and malfeasance, causing many of us to fear tomorrow.  We should all shout from our rooftops, “STOP!  ENOUGH!” 

The Preamble is an introduction to our Constitution.  It is not a law, but it should be an oath we must preserve.

“We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, 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.” 

Every senior in my high school was required to take Government.  We couldn’t graduate into the world without the knowledge Ms. Owen, our teacher, provided us.  By the time we left her class, we understood the framework of the three branches of government and all the checks and balances they offered.  We comprehended the horror associated with dictators, rogue regimes, and violent civil unrest.  

When I cast my first vote at age 18, I thanked Ms. Owen for helping me understand the importance of the freedom to place a check by the person I preferred to lead.  

We need a Ms. Owen in the halls of Congress in every state to re-teach Government.  Our elected officials, from city councils to state and national legislatures, should remember that their job is to provide equality, tranquility, welfare, defense, and liberty to the people they represent.  They must prioritize stability and provide leadership, not for political gain but for the citizens who trust them to do what is right.

Our two-party system must return to the table of common sense and common good, or they need to flunk out of legislatures everywhere.  The far right and the far left should move toward the center, establishing a government that works for all and not for a few who agree with their pitiful, uncompromising, self-serving behaviors. 

God gave us this land of the free to show the world that thankfulness, kindness, ruefulness, and compassion can reign in a nation.  He also gave us free will to determine right from wrong, lies from truth, and concern from apathy.  

“We the people” in order to form a more perfect union… How do we do that when we disparage each other in the name of politics?  How do we provide tranquility when we threaten our security or intimidate anyone who disagrees with us?  Each citizen is responsible for promoting the general welfare of all people and maintaining dignity by using respectfulness.  

 Justice is only found in truth, not based on the lies one prefers to believe.  It is incredible how many folks spread conspiracy and fables instead of taking the time to research the facts.  Isn’t our posterity worth the time?

Ms. Louise Owen passed away long ago.  Today, we must proudly advocate for common-sense government and peace to secure our freedom.  We must rise above the murky waters of hatred and divisive, confrontational competition to do what is honorable for the benefit of all citizens.  We should all uphold the Constitution and obey the laws of God.   

Let’s stop swimming in the murky water of fear, hatred, and distrust.  Otherwise, we may never reach the shore.