Posted on Aug 6, 2017
Should all Citizens "Swear Oath" to "Defend the Constitution of the US", and then discuss their understanding of the "Preamble"?
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Constitution's Preamble "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."
Constitution
Human Rights
Bill of Rights
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 17
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Isn't that essentially what the pledge of allegiance is?
But to answer the question more directly; no. Because it is meaningless outside of a voluntary situation. And in what time, place, format and context would the mandatory discussion's of the preamble take place. Would communities hold weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual Oath and Preamble meetings? That sounds less like America and more like some of the regimes that have "Political Commissars."
I suggest, that civics needs to be put back into the pubic school system. Starting in Kindergarten and continuing all the way to 12th grade some basics need to be taught,
-Memorize and recite the Declaration of Independence
-Memorize and Recite the Preamble to the Constitution
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with the Constitution in general and discuss key clauses; Advise and Consent, Commerce Clause, General Welfare Clause
-Give a plain language description of each of the ratified and still in effect Amendments to the Constitution
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with Washington's Farewell Address
-Memorize and recite the Gettysburg Address
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" Speech
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with the essays that comprise the Federalist Papers
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with the essays that comprise the Anti-Federalist Papers
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with Brown V. Board of Education decision of SCOTUS
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with Miranda V. Arizona decision of SCOTUS
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with Marbury V. Madison decision of SCOTUS
But to answer the question more directly; no. Because it is meaningless outside of a voluntary situation. And in what time, place, format and context would the mandatory discussion's of the preamble take place. Would communities hold weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual Oath and Preamble meetings? That sounds less like America and more like some of the regimes that have "Political Commissars."
I suggest, that civics needs to be put back into the pubic school system. Starting in Kindergarten and continuing all the way to 12th grade some basics need to be taught,
-Memorize and recite the Declaration of Independence
-Memorize and Recite the Preamble to the Constitution
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with the Constitution in general and discuss key clauses; Advise and Consent, Commerce Clause, General Welfare Clause
-Give a plain language description of each of the ratified and still in effect Amendments to the Constitution
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with Washington's Farewell Address
-Memorize and recite the Gettysburg Address
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" Speech
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with the essays that comprise the Federalist Papers
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with the essays that comprise the Anti-Federalist Papers
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with Brown V. Board of Education decision of SCOTUS
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with Miranda V. Arizona decision of SCOTUS
-Read and demonstrate familiarity with Marbury V. Madison decision of SCOTUS
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Maj John Bell
CPT Jack Durish - I agree that it should be self-evident, but clearly it is not. In all my adulthood I can count on one hand the times that someone has come forward WITHOUT the threat of imminent discovery and/or punishment and said. "I did this. It was wrong. I knew it was wrong when I did it. I did it anyway. I stand ready to accept just punishment without complaint." or words to that effect.
I saw it once by a Corporal who violated a procedure and allowed someone access to a space they should not have been in. The "trespasser" literally did not make two full strides into the space before the Corporal called a "hip hop ALL STOP", and notified me of his error. He could have handled it by pretending he'd caught the error before the "trespasser" crossed the line. He knew that I had no choice, but to get the roster corrected, which would get the Barracks XO's attention; and that the Barracks XO was going to want his head on a pike. None the less he reported himself.
How do you teach that?
I saw it once by a Corporal who violated a procedure and allowed someone access to a space they should not have been in. The "trespasser" literally did not make two full strides into the space before the Corporal called a "hip hop ALL STOP", and notified me of his error. He could have handled it by pretending he'd caught the error before the "trespasser" crossed the line. He knew that I had no choice, but to get the roster corrected, which would get the Barracks XO's attention; and that the Barracks XO was going to want his head on a pike. None the less he reported himself.
How do you teach that?
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Maybe the other way around. Learn it first. Otherwise, how can the oath have any meaning?
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The preamble is not the Constitution. It is the opening summary of intent of a much longer document outlining the establishment and construct of the government and the set of rights the citizens will have protected by the government (not granted by it, the rights are unalienable not a government grant).
I am not sure being able to do wrote reciting of the preamble will do much. There is a need for a much deeper understanding of our organic documents and other documents that have come along the way, intertwined with the historical context as well.
It is a lifelong endeavor starting in grade school and going through high school and college. It is also reading and studying on your own. We enjoy the ability to have access to documents and writings far exceeding previous generations and the general population seems far less aware and informed.
I am not sure being able to do wrote reciting of the preamble will do much. There is a need for a much deeper understanding of our organic documents and other documents that have come along the way, intertwined with the historical context as well.
It is a lifelong endeavor starting in grade school and going through high school and college. It is also reading and studying on your own. We enjoy the ability to have access to documents and writings far exceeding previous generations and the general population seems far less aware and informed.
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