Follow and join www.Preamblist.org in encouraging our nation to live up to the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence ("We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...") And the Preamble to the Constitution (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.)

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When our democracy is threatened by extreme partisanship, when scientific consensus on threats such as climate change are dismissed, when the poor and middle class get poorer, when our children are at risk of gun violence, and when innocents die abroad in terrorist attacks and war...look to the preambles for solutions:

Preamble to the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness..."

Preamble to the Constitution: "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."

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With all that's going on in the world and the country, I return to the purpose of our government as stated in the Preamble to the Constitution: "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." And I like to pair that with the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence which includes: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..." I think we should try to achieve the values of these two preambles when it comes to all issues including ones that are particularly concerning to me today: foreign affairs, domestic gun violence, and extremist partisanship dominating both our major political parties. I would like to hear how you think we could apply the preambles to these issues?

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Preamblism™ asserts that America should purposefully strive to embody the words of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution. To symbolize this, this shows the beginning of these two great preambles together in one visual united by the first word "We."

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The Preamblist Movement suggests we free our minds from:

1. the dichotomies which divide us such as right v. left, conservative v. liberal, democrat v republican, RINOs v. “real Republicans, DINOs v. “real Democrats” and

2. from the dichotomies that oversimplify issues as a choice between two extremes with no room for moderate or different positions (e.g. pro-choice v. pro-life; pro-gun v. anti-gun; socialist v. capitalist, and pro-Palestine v pro-Israel).

When we think along the lines of these dichotomies, we fall into the hands of the extremists because we create unnecessary divisions that restrain us from finding reasonable solutions. Additionally, these dichotomies are not reflective of reality. For example, our economy is both capitalist and socialist at the same time which, in many opinions, is a good thing because we get the best of both systems and our overall system is stronger because of it. Furthermore, many people are too complicated and nuanced to fall squarely into one of these labels. The Preamblist Movement suggests we free our minds from these false dichotomies that hold us back. https://media.tenor.com/sItb6CS4pYwAAAAd/morpheus-free-your-mind.gif

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NASA states: “There is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate. Human activity is the principal cause.” (https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/). NASA also states “the vast majority of actively publishing climate scientists – 97 percent – agree that humans are causing global warming and climate change.” Because of this science, the Army has a climate change strategy which states, ‘Climate change poses an immediate and serious threat to U.S. national security and affects how and where the Army trains and operates. As the Secretary of the Army (SecArmy) stated in the United States Army Climate Strategy (ACS), "For today's Soldiers operating in extreme temperature environments, fighting wildfires, and supporting hurricane recovery, climate change isn't a distant future, it is a reality."‘ (https://www.army.mil/e2/downloads/rv7/about/2022_Army_Climate_Strategy_Implementation_Plan_FY23-FY27.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0PRegmFPh-qqZDvY6tDSNV6yF5CxrVR3iI64DgZcd0nq_Z61If6-Lg8HM). Worrying about climate change is not political- it’s following the lead of the vast majority of the scientists including those at NASA. Therefore, to me, the best thing to do is, like the Army, take climate change seriously and act- it’s what I owe my children and nephews and nieces ("our posterity" as stated in the preamble to the Constitution).

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There is a Ronald Reagan for President campaign commercial from 1984 about a bear in the woods. Many of you likely remember it. It says "There is a bear in the woods. For some people, the bear is easy to see. Others don't see it at all. Some people say the bear is tame. Others say it's vicious and dangerous. Since no one can really be sure who's right, isn't it smart to be as strong as the bear? If there is a bear." At the time, the bear was the Soviet Union. Back then there was a debate about the level of threat posed by the Soviet Union and what we should do about it. The commercial was saying that the smart thing to do, despite some level of uncertainty, is to take the threat seriously and protect ourselves against the Soviet Union. Today, the logic of this commercial still resonates with me. I think the bear is the woods is now climate change. Now imagine the bear represents climate change as we re-quote the commercial: “There is a bear in the woods. For some people, the bear is easy to see. Others don’t see it all. Some people say the bear is tame. Others say it’s vicious and dangerous. Since no one can really be sure who’s right, isn’t it smart to be as strong as the bear? If there is a bear.” Even if you have some doubts about climate change, isn’t it smart to take it seriously, mitigate it, and protect ourselves from it? Like the Soviet Union, if the threat is real, it’s a very big and potentially existential threat (especially for our children and grandchildren— “our Posterity,” as stated in the preamble to the Constitution”). The Preamblist Movement calls on us to take strong, swift action against climate change for ourselves and "our Posterity." https://youtu.be/FErYyPMbllI?si=adbTxicFBWfQYRkf

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I believe the Supreme Court should intervene to stop partisan gerrymandering because it is against the words and spirit of the Constitution. The Preamble to the Constitution starts with "We the people" whereas partisan gerrymandering decreases many of "the people's" voting power (in this case it decreases the power of those who vote Democrat which is a lot of people in NC). Additionally the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence states government derives its "just powers from consent of the governed." Its also wrong when the Democratic party does partisan gerrymandering too.https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/25/north-carolina-congressional-map-gop-gerrymander-00123574?fbclid=IwAR0a1b5f8X1A8bjAdWynozsvg6fJp6hAvvUAhCH9pnGHAtbn7TV1_1NWVhM

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We believe gerrymandering is morally wrong, whether by Democrats or Republicans. Gerrymandering intentionally suppresses the power of some voters which is undemocratic. It violates the democratic principles of the preamble to the Declaration of Independence when it states "consent of the governed" and the preamble to the Constitution when it says "We the People."

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I hope the IRS continues to get the funding to catch super rich tax cheats. https://www.cnn.com/.../irs-millionaire-tax.../index.html...

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We strongly condemn the Hamas attack on October 7 and all terrorism. Our hearts go out to the over 1,400 killed and to their families and friends in grief. At the same time, we grieve and are concerned for innocent Palestinian civilians, especially the children, who have been or are at risk of being killed or injured by Israeli military action- already over 4,000 have been killed and thousands displaced and hungry. We believe that Israel, like any other country, has the right to defend itself. However, we wonder if Israel's current widespread military actions will, in the long-run, make them less safe by further angering Palestinians and Arab neighbors. We believe that violence, even counter-violence against a horrific attack, can lead to more violence especially when thousands of civilians are harmed, and then even more violence as the deadly cycle continues

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The current lack of a Speaker of the House crisis is a symptom of the failure of our current system which puts too many extremist partisans in power and a sign that we could really benefit from more moderate, centrist representatives voting across party lines to help us move past this stalemate. The Constitution says “The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers.” It does not require that the party that holds the most seats will elect the speaker, but right now that’s what happens because both parties choose one main candidate to put forward for a floor vote; the minority party members usually vote for one of their candidates while the majority party members usually vote for one of their candidates while the winner must win a simple majority of the the votes (right now 217 votes out of 433 filled seats)- these days, there is very little to no chance of any members voting for the other parties candidate. There are currently no independent or third-party members of the House. With this arrangement, its easy for extremists to exert their power when there are enough of them as there are today. The Republican Party knows that only a candidate that is accepted by the extremists will win the simple majority vote so they put forward mainly extremist candidates like Representative Jim Jordan. But the more moderate representatives within the party, correctly in my opinion, are highly reluctant to give in to the extremists and vote for someone too extreme. So we have stalemate and no legislation can move forward which will lead to a very likely government shutdown in November. In my opinion, a short-term answer and a smart move by Democrats would be for most Democratic Representatives to suddenly and surprisingly vote for the most moderate Republican in the field hopefully combining with enough Republicans to reach 217 votes (unlikely Democrats would do this but seems like a smart move to me to get a speaker they would like more than the others). In my opinion, the long-term answer is to set up elections in such a way that people have moderate candidates to vote for, but the current primaries often only put forward extremists because less moderate voters vote in primaries than general elections. What do you think?

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What can politics/government learn from the philosophical concept of Yin-Yang? The Yin-Yang, which emerged in China, is one of the most ancient philosophical concepts and it remains highly influential today. It “describes opposite but interconnected forces.” The concept includes a “fruitful paradox of simultaneous unity and duality. Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary (rather than opposing) forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts. According to this philosophy, everything has both yin and yang aspects (for instance, shadow cannot exist without light). Either of the two major aspects may manifest more strongly in a particular object, depending on the criterion of the observation. The yin and yang symbol (or taijitu) shows a balance between two opposites with a portion of the opposite element in each section.” Likewise, certain values democratic governments try to achieve are sometimes in opposition to each other (e.g. liberty and safety) so that they can sometimes be considered opposites (like a yin and a yang) but yet they are simultaneously part of each other in that, for example, one cannot truly have liberty without safety and vice versa (one cannot have liberty if constantly under likely threat of being violently attacked and one cannot have safety if you don’t have the liberty to escape or defend oneself- think of a slave who is constantly unsafe because they have no liberty to legally defend themselves or family). Taking one value too far jeopardizes the other value or values. So the values must be in balance with each other. That does not mean that each value must be perfectly even with the other. At certain times, circumstances, and places, there can be more of one than the other- like how if you look near the top of the classic yin-yang symbol and move your eyes horizontally, you will see more white than black, but there is still a bit of black. What do you think? To find out more about Preamblism follow us at Preamblist Preamblism and go to www.preamblist.org . Sources of quotes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang

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September 24, 1957- In a victory for racial integration, General Eisenhower ordered the US Army to protect the Little Rock Nine, a group of students who were bravely trying to be the first African Americans to attend Little Rock Central High School after the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision. Until this order, the nine students had been unable to complete a full day of school there due to the protests of segregationists.

For sources go to https://www.preamblist.org/timeline (September 24, 1957)

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October 14, 1979: First National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights: over 75,000 people march on Washington “to demand equal rights and urge the passage of protective civil rights legislation.” Audre Lorde speech: “Thirty years ago, the first time I came to Washington, my family and I couldn't eat ice cream in a drug store here because we were black. Since then I have come to Washington many times to demonstrate and to testify many times to different aspects of myself and my beliefs and I see many familiar faces from those past marches here today. For lesbians and gay men have always been in the vanguard of struggles for liberation and justice in this country and within our communities. The first national conference of “Third World Lesbians and Gay Men” met in Washington over the past few days and it was an outstanding success. We had third world lesbians and gay men as delegates from over forty states, third world lesbians and gay men from Mexico, from Canada, and from England. Now we have all come together to demonstrate our power as lesbians and gay men on behalf of our own rights. And this is the beginning of a new front for we are saying to the world that the struggle of lesbians and gay men is a real and particular and insufferable part of the struggle of all oppressed people within this country. I am proud to raise my voice here on this day as a black, lesbian, feminist committed to struggle for a world where all our children can grow free from the diseases of racism, of sexism, of classism, and homophobia—for those oppressions are inseparable. The question always is what kind of a world do we want to be a part of? And affirmation and work does not stop with this march on Washington. Each of us has a responsibility to take this struggle to his and her community translated into daily action. The National Conference of Third World Lesbians and Gay Men and this march today were once only visions of what could be now all of us have made it our reality. Let us carry this solidarity that we are professing here today back with us into our everyday lives tomorrow and the day after and next week and next year and let it be reflected in a renewed commitment to struggle for a future in which we can all flourish where not one of us will ever be free until we are all free.”

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/.../National_March_on_Washington...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQK8yawGQXE

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November 4- #OnThisDay On November 4, 1924 – "Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming becomes the first female elected as governor in the United States" and on November 4, 2008 – “Barack Obama becomes the first person of biracial or African-American descent to be elected as President of the United States.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_4 . The Preamblist Movement celebrates the diversity of this country and when our government better reflects that diversity.

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#OnThisDay November 5, 1872- Susan B. Anthony illegally voted in a presidential election. When arrested and fined, she said "“I shall never pay a dollar of your unjust penalty." Over 40 years later, women win the right to vote, a major leap in achieving the values of "We the People" in the preamble to the Constitution and "consent of the governed" in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence.

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#OnThisDay November 6, 1860- After a four-way race, Abraham Lincoln is elected President of the United States, the first Republican president. He goes on to preserve the Union, thereby upholding “a more perfect Union” as stated in the preamble to the Constitution, and to end slavery, thereby upholding “all men are created equal" as stated in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. I think this quote of his is very relevant today: “Let us discard all these things, and unite as one people throughout this land, until we shall once more stand up declaring that all men are created equal.” https://images.app.goo.gl/erk4eAe8Mv5aoaTv7

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#OnThisDay November 6, 2012- Wisconsin elects the first openly gay U.S. Senator, Tammy Baldwin. The Preamblist Movement celebrates when the diversity of this great country is represented in government.

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#OnThisDay November 7-

In 1916, the first female member of U.S. Congress is elected: Jeannette Rankin (Montana, Republican, U.S. House of Representatives).

In 1989- Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor (Virginia, Democrat). David Dinkins is elected to be the first African American Mayor of New York City (Democrat).

The Preamblist Movement celebrates when the diversity of this great country is represented in government.

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On November 18, 2023, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of same-sex couples winning the right to marry in Massachusetts, the first state to recognize this right. Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court wrote in the majority ruling “The Massachusetts Constitution affirms the dignity and equality of all Individuals...It forbids the creation of second-class citizens.” This ruling was another step in the long road towards the values in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence ("unalienable rights," equality, "liberty," "pursuit of happiness," and "safety"/"future security" for gay couples) and the preamble to the Constitution (including "justice," "liberty," and "general welfare.") https://www.preamblist.org/timeline-key-historic-events; #OnThisDay #onthisdayinhistory #20yearsago #gayrights #Preamble

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November 19, 1863- on this day we celebrate this anniversary: Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address referencing both the preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the preamble to the Constitution as I call out in (parentheses): “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation” (referring to the signing of the Declaration of Independence), “conceived in liberty” (liberty is stated in both preambles), “and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” (“all men are created equal” is a direct quote from the preamble to the Declaration of Independence). "Now we are engaged in a great civil war…we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” (“Government of the people, by the people, for the people” reflects and builds on “We the People” of the preamble to the Constitution.) https://images.app.goo.gl/b7qyDS7MYH45L8d36 #OnThisDay #onthisdayinhistory #abrahamlincoln

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Today, November 22, 1963, is 60 years since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Like all president's, he had his faults. But we most remember Kennedy for his best moments including the inspiring words of his inaugural address about our country's foundations of human rights, liberty, and freedom. I wonder if today we are still like he states we were then: "unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world?" If so, let us stop fighting with each other and try to come together as a country and renew our commitment to democracy for all our citizens for it is one of the keys to our human rights.

Here are my favorite parts of his inaugural address in which I see the same spirit as the preambles to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence:

"We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom--symbolizing an end as well as a beginning--signifying renewal as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty...

...And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country...."

For full speech go to https://www.archives.gov/.../president-john-f-kennedys... .

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On this day 240 years ago, November 25, 1783 (Evacuation Day) the British Army leaves New York City (then southern Manhattan) which had been their key military, operations, and political center since early in the Revolution. General George Washington rides triumphantly into New York and at the very southern tip of Manhattan a British flag is removed (from a pole that the British greased to make it harder to climb) and replaced with the American flag. The British departure is over seven years after the Declaration of Independence- a long time of sacrifice by our fore-bearers who took early steps on the path towards “liberty” and “consent of the governed” as stated in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. Let us honor their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of those who followed, by continuing along this path. I believe the best way to do this is to ensure our democracy remains vibrant and inclusive. How do you think we can best continue on this path today? https://images.app.goo.gl/4WhJeL28HWWjLsocA

#onthisdayinhistory #OnThisDay

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December 2, 1954- The Senate votes to censure Senator Joseph McCarthy who had built much of his popularity by publicly accusing individuals of being communists without proof which often ruined their lives and caused widespread fear of expressing certain views. The censure is a victory for freedom of speech, due process of law, and the liberty stated in the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. #OnThisDay #onthisdayinhistory #freedomofspeech

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December 3, 1847- Frederick Douglass releases the first issue of his first antislavery newspaper, The North Star, named for the star that escaping slaves followed. In the first issue Douglass states about the paper: "To millions, now in our boasted land of liberty, it is the STAR OF HOPE." Also in the first issue, Douglass states, “It has long been our anxious wish to see, in this slave-holding, slave-trading, and negro-hating land, a printing-press and paper, permanently established, under the complete control and direction of the immediate victims of slavery and oppression…that the man who has suffered the wrong is the man to demand redress,—that the man STRUCK is the man to CRY OUT—and that he who has endured the cruel pangs of Slavery is the man to advocate Liberty.” The motto of The North Star was: "RIGHT IS OF NO SEX--TRUTH IS OF NO COLOR--GOD IS THE FATHER OF US ALL, AND ALL WE ARE BRETHREN." This motto and paper reflects the values in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence of "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The value liberty is also stated in the preamble to the Constitution. What can we learn today from this paper? For me, there is much to learn including that we should remember our firsthand accounts of history from those who actually experienced it so as to not repeat its mistakes. What do you think? https://images.app.goo.gl/7FdQCK7UeBZd759R9 #onthisdayinhistory, #OnThisDay, #FrederickDouglass, #freedom, #Preamble, #blackhistory

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December 16- We celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Like many events, the Boston Tea Party was complex with both positive and negative aspects. On the negative side, it involved the illegal destruction of approximately $1.7M worth of tea in today’s money (George Washington condemned the destruction at the time). But on balance, The Preamblist Movement celebrates this event as a net positive. We celebrate that it was against an act of the British government that, if not resisted, would have provided the British East India Company with a virtual monopoly on tea in the colonies by undercutting local merchants. We celebrate that it was against a government which did not grant representation to the colonists in Parliament and included a monarch. We celebrate that it was carefully planned and targeted so that no one was physically hurt and that the destruction of property was limited to the tea of the British East India Company (the ships, which were owned by Americans, were not damaged). Do you think this event was a net positive or net negative? https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/boston-tea-party-facts ; #OnThisDay, #onthisdayinhistory, #AmericanHistory

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December 17- on this day in 1944- The US government finally starts to bring a great wrong to an end when it rescinds the World War II internment of Americans of Japanese ancestry. Until this date, ~110,000 people, most of them American citizens, had been in harsh internment camps for about two and a half years. At the same time, 33,000 Americans of Japanese descent served in US military, many with distinction in combat. No Americans of Japanese descent were ever convicted of spying for Japan. Let’s ensure our government:

-never again questions the loyalty of Americans because of race or ancestry,

-never takes away the “liberty” stated in the preamble to the Constitution based on race or ancestry,

-always recognizes that the “justice” stated in the preamble to the Constitution means we are never supposed to judge someone based on race or ancestry.

-always honors the words in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence that “all mean are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

What do you think we can learn from this today?

https://www.politico.com/.../us-rescinds-internment-of...

#OnThisDay, #onthisdayinhistory, #JapaneseAmericanHistory, #Preamble; #equality

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December 24- We celebrate the actions of black civil rights activists in Tallahassee, Florida on this day in 1956. They had already been engaged in a seven-month boycott of the city buses to protest segregation. On this day, they launched a new tactic: they returned to riding the buses, but defiantly sat in seats reserved for whites. This initiative was to test whether a recent court ruling (Browder v. Gayle) that declared segregation on buses unconstitutional in Montgomery, Alabama, would also be enforced in Florida. The activists did this knowing they risked arrest and violence. Due to the boycott and this new action, buses in Tallahassee were integrated by summer. It was brave actions like these that ensured we moved closer to the ideals of “all men are created equal” in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence and “justice” and “liberty” in the preamble to the Constitution. What actions should we take today to move closer to the preambles? www.preamblism.org

https://images.app.goo.gl/BDEKwxF54Pjg54Pz7 #OnThisDay#onthisdayinhistory, #civilrights, #Preamble

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January 6- Preamblism honors and thanks the brave police officers who on this day in 2021 protected our elected officials and our democracy during the storming of the capital building. Here are some but by no means all of the police heroes of that day:

US Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, a US Army veteran who served in Iraq, intentionally baited rioters into chasing him away from the Senate chamber before it was fully evacuated thereby saving elected officials in both parties from possible harm. Republican Senator Ben Sasse credited Goodman with having "single-handedly prevented untold bloodshed". Goodman also led Republican Senator Mitt Romney away from rioters. https://youtu.be/sfNozWpeBU8

D.C. Police Officer Daniel Hodges was crushed trying to stop the rioters from breaching the entrance in the tunnel on the western side of the building. https://youtu.be/7eQoda_QLIA

Officer Michael Fanone self-deployed to the Capitol and was pulled into the crowd, beaten and tased causing a heart attack, concussion, traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder. https://youtu.be/iAKyJQqcl0s

How should we honor their sacrifice?

#OnThisDay; #OnThisDayInHistory

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January 15, 1929- The birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a great hero of Preamblism. He often referred to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. In his last speech he stated, “...when students all over the South started sitting-in at lunch counters. And I knew that as they were sitting in, they were really standing up for the best in the American dream, and taking the whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.” In his “I Have a Dream Speech” he stated, “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men — yes, Black men as well as white men — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” And “So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”. On his birthday, how can we today best ensure that this nation will “live out the true meaning of its creed?” https://images.app.goo.gl/3FUC48NhShqJfK8X7

#ThisDay; #OnThisDay, #onthisdayinhistory, #ThisDayInHistory, #MLKDay, #Preamble, #allmenarecreatedequal

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January 20- On this day in 1955, students conducted an anti-segregation lunch counter sit-in in the flagship of Read’s drug store chain in downtown Baltimore. This was the most famous of several sit-ins and protests in 1955 against the store’s racial segregation policy. The combination of these efforts made up one of the first sustained direct action campaigns against segregation and involved some of the earliest lunch counter sit-ins of the civil rights movement and this campaign worked. Two days after the January 20th sit-in, Read’s owner ended the segregation policy at all 37 of its lunch counters which influenced several other Baltimore businesses to integrate too. This campaign inspired other sit-ins against segregation that helped to gradually integrate more businesses in other cities. The participants in these peaceful campaigns helped bring our country closer to the equality and liberty of the words in the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. These same ideals were celebrated 26 years later to the day, when President Reagan stated in his first inaugural address on January 20, 1981, “we are a united people pledged to maintaining a political system which guarantees individual liberty to a greater degree than any other”…“Well, this administration's objective will be a healthy, vigorous, growing economy that provides equal opportunities for all Americans with no barriers born of bigotry or discrimination”… “We shall reflect the compassion that is so much a part of your makeup. How can we love our country and not love our countrymen; and loving them, reach out a hand when they fall, heal them when they're sick, and provide opportunity to make them self-sufficient so they will be equal in fact and not just in theory?”…“Well, I believe we, the Americans of today, are ready to act worthy of ourselves, ready to do what must be done to ensure happiness and liberty for ourselves, our children, and our children's children. And as we renew ourselves here in our own land, we will be seen as having greater strength throughout the world. We will again be the exemplar of freedom and a beacon of hope for those who do not now have freedom.” Later, these same ideals were again celebrated on January 20, 2009, when President Obama gave his first inaugural address in which he stated: “The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.”…"Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man -- a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience sake."…”For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.”..."This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall; and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath." This last quote brings us back full circle to the Read’s drug store of January 20, 1955 who would not have served President Obama’s father because of his race. Yet by 2008 the nation had come so far as to elect the first African American president. To me this is representative of the great path America has been on towards realizing the words of the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution- words such as equality and liberty- the same words spoken by a Republican President in his first inaugural address on January 20, 1981 and then spoken by a Democratic President in his first inaugural address on January 20, 2009. Are we still walking forward on this path or are we now crawling backwards? https://images.app.goo.gl/EsXquobWnRj22yQ56

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January 21- Since 1937, most presidential inaugurations happen on January 20th, except when January 20th falls on a Sunday, in which case the inauguration happens on the next day January 21. The two most recent ones on January 21st were President Reagan in 1985 for his second term and President Obama in 2013 also for his second term. What strikes me from both speeches is that despite the two Presidents being from different generations, different political parties, and having different beliefs in how to achieve their ideals, their ideals are similar to each other and reflect the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. They both call out freedom and liberty, equality, protecting future generations (our posterity), unity, general welfare (with calls to look after each other), and democracy. Likewise they both condemn prejudice and partisanship. The similarities in these speeches give me hope and belief. I believe that we can move forward as a united country because most of us, regardless of political party, have similar ideals such as these, even though we likely have different beliefs on the best methods to achieve these ideals. To me the key is retaining the system that allows us to respectfully debate our ideas and vote within a democracy. Do you generally agree? If so, what do you think is important to add to or tweak about my statements? If not, why not? Here are excerpts of both speeches:

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January 21, 1985- President Reagan’s second inaugural address (excepts): “We will not rest until every American enjoys the fullness of freedom, dignity, and opportunity as our birthright.” “We must think anew and move with a new boldness, so every American who seeks work can find work, so the least among us shall have an equal chance to achieve the greatest things—to be heroes who heal our sick, feed the hungry, protect peace among nations, and leave this world a better place.” “We must act now to protect future generations from government's desire to spend its citizens' money and tax them into servitude when the bills come due. Let us make it unconstitutional for the Federal Government to spend more than the Federal Government takes in.” “Our fundamental goals must be to reduce dependency and upgrade the dignity of those who are infirm or disadvantaged. And here, a growing economy and support from family and community offer our best chance for a society where compassion is a way of life, where the old and infirm are cared for, the young and, yes, the unborn protected, and the unfortunate looked after and made self-sufficient.” “As an older American, I remember a time when people of different race, creed, or ethnic origin in our land found hatred and prejudice installed in social custom and, yes, in law. There's no story more heartening in our history than the progress that we've made toward the brotherhood of man that God intended for us. Let us resolve there will be no turning back or hesitation on the road to an America rich in dignity and abundant with opportunity for all our citizens. Let us resolve that we, the people, will build an American opportunity society in which all of us—white and black, rich and poor, young and old—will go forward together, arm in arm. Again, let us remember that though our heritage is one of blood lines from every corner of the Earth, we are all Americans, pledged to carry on this last, best hope of man on Earth.” “We strive for peace and security, heartened by the changes all around us. Since the turn of the century, the number of democracies in the world has grown fourfold. Human freedom is on the march, and nowhere more so than in our own hemisphere. Freedom is one of the deepest and noblest aspirations of the human spirit. People, worldwide, hunger for the right of self-determination, for those inalienable rights that make for human dignity and progress. America must remain freedom's staunchest friend, for freedom is our best ally and it is the world's only hope to conquer poverty and preserve peace. Every blow we inflict against poverty will be a blow against its dark allies of oppression and war. Every victory for human freedom will be a victory for world peace. So, we go forward today, a nation still mighty in its youth and powerful in its purpose. With our alliances strengthened, with our economy leading the world to a new age of economic expansion, we look to a future rich in possibilities. And all of this is because we worked and acted together, not as members of political parties but as Americans.” “It is the American sound. It is hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent, and fair. That's our heritage, that's our song. We sing it still. For all our problems, our differences, we are together as of old.” source: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/docu.../inaugural-address-10

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January 21, 2013- President Obama’s second inaugural address (excerpts): “Each time we gather to inaugurate a President we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this Nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional—what makes us American—is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today we continue a never-ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they've never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth.” “Through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, we learned that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free. We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together.” “Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable and protect its people from life's worst hazards and misfortune.” “But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.” “Now more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation and one people.” “My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it—so long as we seize it together.” “For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America's prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American; she is free and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God, but also in our own.” “But while the means will change, our purpose endures: a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American. That is what this moment requires. That is what will give real meaning to our creed. We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity.” “We do not believe that in this country freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss or a sudden illness or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other through Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, these things do not sap our initiative, they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great. We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms.” “We will support democracy from Asia to Africa, from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice—not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity, human dignity and justice. We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths—that all of us are created equal—is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls and Selma and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.” “For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law—for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity—until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia, to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm. That is our generation's task—to make these words, these rights, these values of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for every American. Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life. It does not mean we all define liberty in exactly the same way or follow the same precise path to happiness. Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act in our time. For now decisions are upon us and we cannot afford delay. We cannot mistake absolutism for principle or substitute spectacle for politics or treat name-calling as reasoned debate. We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act, we must act knowing that today's victories will be only partial and that it will be up to those who stand here in 4 years and 40 years and 400 years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall. My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction.” source: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/docu.../inaugural-address-15 ; https://www.aoc.gov/what.../programs-ceremonies/inauguration #allmenarecreatedequal; #bipartisanship, #democracy, #freedom, #liberty

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January 28- today The Preamblist Movement celebrates the anniversary of the launch of PEPFAR. In his State of the Union Address of 2003, President George W. Bush announced the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which has, as of 2023, saved an estimated 25 million lives and prevented millions of HIV infections primarily in Africa. PEPFAR is a shining example of what we can do as a country when we put aside aside our partisan differences, unite around our common compassion, recognize that helping others is not only right, but also in our national interest, and combine expertise from the private and public sector with the best science (a major part of PEPFAR was distributing anti-retroviral drugs which were a result of years of scientific research). As President Bush stated in his speech, “Today, on the continent of Africa, nearly 30 million people have the AIDS virus -- including 3 million children under the age 15. There are whole countries in Africa where more than one-third of the adult population carries the infection. More than 4 million require immediate drug treatment. Yet across that continent, only 50,000 AIDS victims -- only 50,000 -- are receiving the medicine they need…Because the AIDS diagnosis is considered a death sentence, many do not seek treatment. Almost all who do are turned away. A doctor in rural South Africa describes his frustration. He says, ‘We have no medicines. Many hospitals tell people, you've got AIDS, we can't help you. Go home and die.’ In an age of miraculous medicines, no person should have to hear those words. AIDS can be prevented. Anti-retroviral drugs can extend life for many years. And the cost of those drugs has dropped from $12,000 a year to under $300 a year -- which places a tremendous possibility within our grasp. Ladies and gentlemen, seldom has history offered a greater opportunity to do so much for so many. We have confronted, and will continue to confront, HIV/AIDS in our own country. And to meet a severe and urgent crisis abroad, tonight I propose the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief -- a work of mercy beyond all current international efforts to help the people of Africa.” Three days later President Bush stated, “We have a chance to achieve a more compassionate world for every citizen. America believes deeply that everybody has worth, everybody matters, everybody was created by the Almighty, and we're going to act on that belief and we'll act on that passion.” This belief can be found in our founding documents, when the preamble to the Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and when the preamble to the Constitution states “in order to…promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Therefore, Preamblists believe that the compassion that President Bush references when setting up PEPFAR is a fundamental value of America from its founding and is one that unites us as a people. Preamblists believe this American compassion is in the world’s and also our national interest: as President Bush wrote, “I was confident I could explain how saving lives in Africa served our strategic and moral interests. Healthier societies would be less likely to breed terror or genocide. They would be more prosperous and better able to afford our goods and services. People uncertain of America’s motives would see our generosity and compassion. And I believed the American people would be more supportive if we could show that their tax dollars were saving lives.” Can we, as a country, unite around our compassion and replicate what worked in PEPFAR to solve issues today and into the future? https://files.hiv.gov/.../PEPFAR_WAD-2022_Infographic_Web... ; #PEPFAR, #PEPFARat20, #allmenarecreatedequal, #Preamble, #hivaids, #antiretroviraltherapy, #compassion

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February 3- Today we celebrate the anniversary of the 1870 ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment which states, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Unfortunately, state governments did (and sometimes still do) get around this constitutional amendment. To maximize voting by the full diversity of this great country, The Preamblist Movement supports more polling places in locations easily accessible to all people and other measures that make voting easier for all. Steps like these are important to ensure we live up to the value of "consent of the governed" in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the spirit of "We the People" that starts the preamble to the Constitution. Do you agree? What is the best action we can take to make voting easier for all? https://images.app.goo.gl/6QnzGiViqYhufKFE7 #ConsentOfTheGoverned, #Preamble, #WeThePeople, #FifteenthAmendment, #GetOutTheVote

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February 11, 1937- anniversary of one of the first major victories for a labor union in the US as a result of the Flint, Michigan United Auto Workers strike of 1937. Before the victory, auto workers were paid less than a living wage for a family of four and worked in dangerous and sometimes deadly conditions with “mercilessly” fast assembly lines. After 44 days of a sit-in strike at multiple General Motors plants, the company gave workers a 5% pay increase and allowed workers to join the union. In several previous major strikes, such as the Homestead Steel Strike of 1892, the Pullman Strike of 1894, and the Great Steel Strike of 1919, the government violated its duty to the people by helping the companies violently break the strike with police or troops. But in the Flint strike, the government recognized that they should not use violence on common citizens trying to achieve the American dream. Michigan Governor Frank Murphy stated, “If I send those soldiers right in on the men,” he said, “there’d be no telling how many would be killed…The state authorities will not take sides. They (the National Guard) are here only to protect the public peace.” The sit-in became known as the “strike heard around the world.” The success of this strike inspired more workers to join unions, more strikes, and more companies to pay higher wages. I honor this moment because I believe that all workers deserve safe working conditions and a living wage so they can provide for their families through the dignity of their own labor. I believe this is in line with the preamble to the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” I also believe this is in line with the preamble to the Constitution when it declares “We the People” and calls for “general Welfare,” and “the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” I believe that our government should prevent corporations from taking advantage of workers. Although I don’t agree with all labor union positions, I believe that they play an important role in our country. What are your thoughts? https://www.abc12.com/news/business/how-an-auto-workers-strike-87-years-ago-transformed-america/article_b29d2dd6-6454-5e33-8064-fa399817a5d6.html #allmenarecreatedequal, #lifelibertyandthepursuitofhappiness, #WeThePeople, #GeneralWelfare, #blessingsofliberty, #union

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February 17, 1964- Wesberry v. Sanders decided by Supreme Court, a decision we celebrate because it is consistent with the value of "we the people" in the preamble to the Constitution as well as the values of "all men are created equal" and "consent of the governed" in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. James Wesberry lived in the Fifth Congressional District in Georgia “the population of which is two to three times greater than that of some other congressional districts in the State.” Georgia was not alone- several states had districts of unequal population especially diluting the vote of urban districts. Wesberry and team believed that “Since there is only one Congressman for each district, this inequality of population means that the Fifth District's Congressman has to represent from two to three times as many people as do Congressmen from some of the other Georgia districts…Claiming that these population disparities deprived them and voters similarly situated of a right under the Federal Constitution to have their votes for Congressmen given the same weight as the votes of other Georgians.” The Supreme Court agreed with Wesberry and ruled that “The Constitution requires that members of the House of Representatives be selected by districts composed, as nearly as is practicable, of equal population…It would be extraordinary to suggest that, in such statewide elections, the votes of inhabitants of some parts of a State, for example, Georgia's thinly populated Ninth District, could be weighted at two or three times the value of the votes of people living in more populous parts of the State, for example, the Fifth District around Atlanta…We do not believe that the Framers of the Constitution intended to permit the same vote-diluting discrimination to be accomplished through the device of districts containing widely varied numbers of inhabitants. To say that a vote is worth more in one district than in another would not only run counter to our fundamental ideas of democratic government, it would cast aside the principle of a House of Representatives elected "by the People," a principle tenaciously fought for and established at the Constitutional Convention…While it may not be possible to draw congressional districts with mathematical precision, that is no excuse for ignoring our Constitution's plain objective of making equal representation for equal numbers of people the fundamental goal for the House of Representatives. That is the high standard of justice and common sense which the Founders set for us…No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws under which, as good citizens, we must live. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined. Our Constitution leaves no room for classification of people in a way that unnecessarily abridges this right. In urging the people to adopt the Constitution, Madison said in No. 57 of The Federalist: ‘Who are to be the electors of the Federal Representatives? Not the rich more than the poor; not the learned more than the ignorant; not the haughty heirs of distinguished names more than the humble sons of obscure and unpropitious fortune. The electors are to be the great body of the people of the United States.’…Readers surely could have fairly taken this to mean, "one person, one vote." We thank the Supreme Court for this ruling- if they had ruled otherwise, imagine what shenanigans the two major political parties would get up to today beyond the gerrymandering they already do.

This ruling reminds me that the principle of “one person, one vote” does not hold in presidential elections because voters in smaller and swing states have greater influence over the outcome than others which is why several presidents have won the election despite losing the popular vote. This is one reason why we call for reform of the electoral college (including option to replace it with simple direct vote at a national level). Do you agree? #OnePersonOneVote; #democracy; #ElectoralCollege; #allmenarecreatedequal; #WeThePeople; #ConsentOfTheGoverned
https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts ;
; https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/376/1/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesberry_v._Shttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesberry_v._Shttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesberry_v._Shttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesberry_v._Sanders ; https://images.app.goo.gl/EEgFwBNXUdkFpy9CA :

Instagram (shorter):

February 17, 1964- Wesberry v. Sanders decided by Supreme Court, a decision we celebrate because it is consistent with the value of "we the people" in the preamble to the Constitution as well as the values of "all men are created equal" and "consent of the governed" in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. James Wesberry lived in the Fifth Congressional District in Georgia “the population of which is two to three times greater than that of some other congressional districts in the State.” Georgia was not alone- several states had districts of unequal population especially diluting the vote of urban districts. Wesberry and team believed that “Since there is only one Congressman for each district, this inequality of population means that the Fifth District's Congressman has to represent from two to three times as many people as do Congressmen from some of the other Georgia districts…Claiming that these population disparities deprived them and voters similarly situated of a right under the Federal Constitution to have their votes for Congressmen given the same weight as the votes of other Georgians.” The Supreme Court agreed with Wesberry and ruled that “The Constitution requires that members of the House of Representatives be selected by districts composed, as nearly as is practicable, of equal population…To say that a vote is worth more in one district than in another would not only run counter to our fundamental ideas of democratic government, it would cast aside the principle of a House of Representatives elected "by the People,"...No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws under which, as good citizens, we must live. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined. Our Constitution leaves no room for classification of people in a way that unnecessarily abridges this right.” We thank the Supreme Court for this ruling- if they had ruled otherwise, imagine what shenanigans the two major political parties would get up to today beyond the gerrymandering they already do.
#allmenarecreatedequal ; #WeThePeople

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February 2024- this month we celebrate Wisconsin for adopting state legislative electoral maps that are much more competitive than the prior ones “that were recognized as among the most gerrymandered in the country.” As Democratic Governor Evers stated, “Wisconsin is not a red state or a blue state—we’re a purple state, and I believe our maps should reflect that basic fact” and “it is a new day in Wisconsin, and today is a beautiful day for democracy.” Republican Assembly Speaker Vos stated, “This fall Republicans will prove that we can win on any maps because we have the better policy ideas for the State of Wisconsin” which is good for democracy because policy ideas and the qualities of the candidates should drive election results instead of highly gerrymandered maps. When the gerrymandered maps were last used in the 2022 election, Republicans won 65 of 99 seats (64.6%), almost a supermajority, with just 55% of the vote. In the gerrymandered maps, “Fifty-five of the state’s 99 Assembly districts and 21 of 33 in the Senate contain ‘disconnected pieces of territory’” including the 68th district in purple in the picture below. Nationwide, both parties gerrymander. To me, it is undemocratic and a conflict of interest for a party to draw the maps that elect them. Therefore, I believe that independent citizens commissions are a much better way to draw representative electoral maps that are more likely to result in achieving the value of “consent of the governed” called for in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the value of “We the People” called for in the preamble to the Constitution. Since Wisconsin does not have an independent commission, I worry the parties will again gerrymander the maps in future. What do you think is the best way for states to draw electoral maps? https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/wisconsins-democratic-governor-signs-new-legislative-maps-law-107342751; https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts; https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/02/19/gov-tony-evers-signs-new-election-maps-ending-wiscoonsin-gerrymander/72602408007/ ; https://www.propublica.org/article/wisconsin-legislative-maps-bizarre-are-they-illegal

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On March 2, 1955, in Montgomery Alabama, Claudette Colvin, a black woman only 15 years old at the time, refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white woman who would not sit in the same row as her. When a traffic officer asked her why, she replied, “because it’s my constitutional right.” When two police officers boarded the bus to tell her to move, she refused. The police officers violently removed her from the bus and she became “the first person to be arrested for challenging Montgomery’s bus segregation laws” nine months before Rosa Parks was arrested. She later stated, “I could not move because history had me glued to the seat…Sojourner Truth’s hands were pushing me down on one shoulder and Harriet Tubman’s hands were pushing me down on another shoulder.” She had just finished learning about Black History since her school celebrated it for the entire month of February, “as we do now, because her teachers felt black people were absent from history books.” In the months after, several other black women also defied bus segregation in Montgomery. Three of these women agreed to be the main plaintiffs in a federal civil action lawsuit, known as Browder v. Gayle (1956) which ruled “the enforced segregation of black and white passengers on motor buses operating in the City of Montgomery violates the Constitution and laws of the United States” and led to Alabama desegregating its buses. We honor Colvin and her fellow plaintiffs in helping bring our country closer to the equality, liberty, and justice of the words in the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. How can we today best keep their struggle moving forward? https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/girl-who-acted-rosa-parks ; https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/picture-gallery/news/2019/12/01/rosa-parks-statue-bus-boycott-civil-rights/4346990002/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browder_v._Gayle; https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts #allmenarecreatedequal; #justice; #liberty; #preamble; #equality

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March 3, 1913- Between 5,000 and 10,000 women marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC in the “Woman Suffrage Procession.” This was “the first large, organized march on Washington for political purposes” and civil rights, setting the stage for all future ones in the nation’s capitol through today. The first float in the march stated, “"We demand an amendment to the Constitution of the United States enfranchising the women of this country" (which would later become known as “The Great Demand.”) The march was strategically and carefully organized especially in its timing which was the day before Woodrow Wilson’s presidential inauguration. In the program, the organizers stated “We march today to give evidence to the world of our determination, that this simple act of justice shall be done" and "in a spirit of protest against the present political organization of society, from which women are excluded." The participants proceeded bravely as police failed to control part of the crowd who spilled onto the street, insulting, spitting on, and physically assaulting the marchers. The participants held strong until army troops cleared the way for the march to continue. Especially brave were black women who took part despite facing racism and impediments from some of the other marchers. The press heavily and visibly covered the march and its aftermath for weeks. The march helped to energize the suffragette movement on a national stage and contributed to the passage six years later of the 19th Amendment which states “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” We thank these marchers for helping bring our country closer to the equality, liberty, and justice of the words in the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. I believe we need to continue the fight for gender equality because, for example, “In 2021, full-time, year-round working women typically earned 84 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts” and “ prohibition of sex discrimination is still not as strongly enforceable as prohibition of” some other forms of discrimination. I believe our country needs to enshrine the language of the Equal Rights Amendment “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex” in the Constitution— what do you think? https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts ; sources: https://www.nps.gov/articles/woman-suffrage-procession1913.htm ; https://wamu.org/story/19/03/28/suffragists-were-responsible-for-the-first-peaceful-march-on-washington/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution ; https://www.americanprogress.org/article/what-to-know-about-the-gender-wage-gap-as-the-equal-pay-act-turns-60/ ; https://www.equalrightsamendment.org/why ; #allmenarecreatedequal; #justice; #liberty; #preamble; #equality; #equalrightsamendment; #equalpay; #womensrights ; image: https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/suffrage/Pages/events/procession.aspx ;

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Post 43:

On March 9, 1954, Journalist Edward R. Murrow spoke out publicly and prominently against Senator Joseph McCarthy’s tactics on his TV show See it Now stating:

“No one familiar with the history of this country can deny that congressional committees are useful. It is necessary to investigate before legislating, but the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one, and the junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly. His primary achievement has been in confusing the public mind, as between the internal and the external threats of Communism. We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men—not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular.

This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy's methods to keep silent, or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result. There is no way for a citizen of a republic to abdicate his responsibilities. As a nation we have come into our full inheritance at a tender age. We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.

The actions of the junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad, and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn't create this situation of fear; he merely exploited it—and rather successfully. Cassius was right: ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.’”

This episode of the show helped to end McCarthyism. How does the statement above apply today?

My take as a Preamblist: Senator McCarthy was harmful to our country not because he investigated for enemies, but because he was quick to falsely label some as enemies of America. True enemies and traitors are those who are willing to use violence, espionage, and sabotage against Americans. Enemies are not those who simply hold a different point of view. Unfortunately and of course, just like in the time of McCarthy, there are true enemies operating here today. It is important to investigate for these true enemies to achieve the values in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence of “safety” and “security” and the values in the preamble to the Constitution of “domestic tranquility,” and “common defense.” But, we should not investigate in such a way that sacrifices other values in the preambles including “all men…are endowed with their Creator by certain unalienable rights that among these are…liberty,” and “justice.” The preamble to the Constitution states another value: “A More Perfect Union.” This is a value that McCarthy often violated by emphasizing divisions between Americans including by falsely and quickly labeling someone a “Communist” and enemy of America. Today, I hear politicians sow divisions by falsely and quickly labeling others as fascists, socialists, leftists, conservatives, RHINOS, and DINOS. These labels are harmful because they divide Americans into opposing groups. However, I believe most Americans are united by similar values and we have healthy differences of opinion in how to achieve those values. Additionally, many Americans do not neatly fit into a label- for example, someone may align with the Democratic Party on some issues but with the Republican party on others. I worry that if we continue to divide each other into opposing groups, we run the risk of falling to our true enemies- those who want to cause us great harm through violence, sabotage, and espionage. What do you think we can learn today from Murrow’s statement on March 9, 1954? image: https://www.azquotes.com/public/picture_quotes/66/be/66beb87a9531f971398c67030a2aa157/edward-r-murrow-400247.jpg

#justice ; #liberty

Post 44:

On this day, March 16, in 1847, John Stark rescued nine people of the Donner Party, seven of them children, from Starved Camp in the Sierra Mountains in California. A few days earlier, Stark had volunteered to join a rescue party. During the trip he refused to accept any payment stating, “I will go without any reward beyond that derived from the consciousness of doing a good act.” Stark and the rescue party found eleven people alive in the mountains at the bottom of a 24-foot deep snow pit. The other two rescuers in the party grabbed one child each to bring to safety. Stark went even further and refused to leave anybody behind. He said, “I will not abandon these people.” At great risk to himself, he saved the remaining nine starving people who were so weak they could barely walk. Seven of the nine were children and Stark carried them much of the way down the mountain often two at time for a short distance, putting them down, and then going back multiple times to get the other children. One of the people that Stark rescued, James Breen, stated “To his great bodily strength, and unexcelled courage, myself and others owe our lives. There was probably no other man in California at that time, who had the intelligence, determination, and what was absolutely necessary to have in that emergency.” John Stark’s heroics in saving seven children whom he did not know is a great example of looking after the people of later generations, or “our posterity” as the the Preamble to the Constitution states in the phrase “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” Like John Stark, we should also help those of younger and future generations. Many of “our posterity” currently attend underfunded schools, live in dangerous neighborhoods, and over eleven million live in poverty. What do you think are the best ways to help them? https://thestormking.com/tahoe_nuggets/Nugget_57/nugget_57.html ; http://www.donnersummithistoricalsociety.org/pages/Restaurant/HeroismandPathosonDonnerSummit.html ; https://www.pewpewtactical.com/a-picture-from-history-john-stark/ ; https://datacenter.aecf.org/data/tables/43-children-in-poverty#detailed/1/any/false/1095,2048,1729,37,871,870,573,869,36,868/any/321,322 ; https://images.app.goo.gl/gYuLd26AoPTLv1WG6

Post 45:

April 14, 2003- The Human Genome Project is declared complete after “generating the first sequence of the human genome.” The coordinating body of the project released the information on the Internet for all to use. Scientists, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies have and will continue to use this information to achieve major advances in medicine particularly in fighting cancer. The project was biology’s “moon shot,” “the world's largest collaborative biological project,” and “one of the greatest scientific feats in history.” It was funded by the US government National Institute of Health (NIH) and several other governments and groups around the world. The research was also collaborative and multinational with participation from twenty universities and research centers from the US, UK, China, Japan, France, and Germany. By advancing disease prevention and treatment, the project represented many of the values of both of the Preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution including “life,” “happiness” and “general welfare” (due to better health), “safety” and “future security” (from diseases), and “our posterity” (as this was a great investment in future generations). It is a great example of what humanity can achieve when we identify common goals and then work together across countries and governments, universities, scientific organizations, and the private sector. In my opinion, it is great example of how we can all benefit from an all-of-society approach including elements of “socialism” and “capitalism” combined with the best peer reviewed science, as opposed to letting unscientific biases and extreme interpretations of ideologies limit and divide us; what do you think? Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/KcFeTfb9i4s24ktw6 ; Sources: https://www.genome.gov/human-genome-project , https://www.icr.ac.uk/news-features/latest-features/how-the-human-genome-project-shook-the-world-of-cancer-research , https://www.britannica.com/event/Human-Genome-Project , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Genome_Project

Post 46:

April 20, 1657- Jews of New Amsterdam (later New York City), gain freedom of religion and citizenship rights of the colony. “This marks the beginning of the largest Jewish city in the world with a larger Jewish community than Tel Aviv.” At the time, twenty-three of the Jews in the city were refugees who had arrived in 1654 fleeing persecution in Dutch Brazil (“the first organized Jewish migration to North America” and “widely commemorated as the starting point of the history of Jews in New York and the United States.”) The director-general of the colony, Peter Stuyvesant, was antisemitic and generally opposed to any religion besides his own. But the country of Holland allowed freedom of religion and after pressure and petition by the Jewish community within New Amsterdam (led by Asser Levy), the Dutch West India Company granted them “burgher” or citizenship rights. The British took control of the colony in 1664 and named it New York and “In part due to the large Jewish population in Manhattan, the English retained the Dutch’s policies of toleration.” The political philosophy of Preamblism celebrates freedom of religion and believes that the USA benefits greatly from diversity. The Preamble to the Declaration of Independence states "we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" and the Preamble to the Constitution proclaims as one of its purposes "to secure the blessings of liberty." Freedom of religion is essential for these values of equality, liberty, and happiness and is therefore essential to the USA achieving its purpose as stated in the preambles. To be clear, freedom of religion refers to liberty to practice one's own chosen religion and does not include infringing on the rights of others in the name of one’s religion. Do you agree? Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/sYRwxxxQAdWHiukL6; Sources: https://www.joodsamsterdam.nl/new-amsterdam-new-york/; https://www.historyandheadlines.com/history-april-20-1657-jews-new-amsterdam-given-religious-freedom/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_arrival_in_New_Amsterdam; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asser_Levy; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Stuyvesant; https://jewishcurrents.org/april-20-citizens-in-new-amsterdam; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_arrival_in_New_Amsterdam#:~:text=The%20Jewish%20arrival%20in%20New,the%20conquest%20of%20Dutch%20Brazil.; https://www.libertarianism.org/columns/soul-liberty-toleration-emergence-religious-freedom-colonies#:~:text=Pennsylvania%20and%20New%20York%20were,their%20establishment%20of%20religious%20freedom.

Post 47:

April 27, 1860- Hundreds of Americans, including Harriet Tubman rescue escaped slave Charles Nalle from being arrested and returned to slavery. Nalle had escaped from slavery in Virginia about a year and a half earlier and, with the help of the Underground Railway, reached, lived, and worked in the Troy, NY area. Less than two years later, on April 27, a slave catcher and a deputy arrested Nalle under the Fugitive Slave Act and brought him to a local building to prepare to return him to Virginia. Word of the capture spread throughout the town, and hundreds of citizens (some report 2,000) gathered outside of the building. Although it seems too good to be true, Harriet Tubman was in town visiting her cousin that day and entered the building under disguise so that she could alert the crowd when Nalle was about to be brought outside. As he emerged from the building, Tubman grabbed and held onto Nalle. The crowd pulled Nalle to a boat which brought him across the Hudson River to the town of Watervilet where he was immediately arrested again and brought to another building. But, many in the crowd had also crossed the river. They struggled with the arresting officers who fired their guns and injured two, but the crowd overpowered them and escorted Nalle to safety. A few weeks later, citizens of Troy raised enough money to buy Nalle’s freedom enabling him to spend the rest of his life in freedom with his wife and family and a job at the post office. Although the crowd mobilized quite spontaneously, it grew so quickly and was so effective partly due to long-standing abolitionist organizations such as the Troy Vigilance Committee and the Underground Railroad. This event demonstrates what a large group of citizens can accomplish, especially with prior organization, to uphold the values of: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the values of "justice” and “liberty” in the Preamble to the Constitution. Therefore, today and in the future, we should also organize ourselves into groups that promote these values so that we are prepared for the possibility of needing to mobilize in an instant to defend them. Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/vEReDbdWqJrrU4iH7 ; For sources see: https://www.preamblist.org/timeline-key-historic-events

Post 48:

May 5, 1805- On this day, Mary Dixon Kies became one of the first women to receive a U.S. patent in her own name for an invention that helped the American economy during a severe recession. The US economy was struggling due to significantly less trade with Europe during the Napoleonic Wars. Meanwhile, women could not vote and their property belonged to their father, husband, or other male relative, but the government had recently passed the 1790 Patent Act which enabled “any person or persons” to apply. Under this law, Kies received a patent for a process she invented for weaving straw and silk together in making hats. The process was widely used for a decade helping to grow the industry and the U.S. economy including during the War of 1812 and First Lady Dolly Madison wrote a letter to Kies praising her invention. What can we learn from this today? That we benefit as a country when we pass laws that enable ALL members of society to contribute their talents, laws that are consistent with the equality and liberty called for in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence that help produce the “general welfare” stated in the Preamble to the Constitution. What laws, if any, do you think the government should pass or repeal today to help ensure ALL people can contribute their talents to society? Sources: https://www.invent.org/inductees/mary-dixon-kies; sources and image: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-mary-kies-americas-first-woman-become-patent-holder-180959008/#:~:text=Women%20make%20history%20all%20the,woman%20to%20receive%20a%20patent.

Post 49:
May 17, 1954- We celebrate that, on May 17, 70 years ago, the Supreme Court, in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional stating, “We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Therefore, we hold that the plaintiffs and others similarly situated for whom the actions have been brought are, by reason of the segregation complained of, deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.” This was an important step in striving for the "equality" and "general welfare" called for in the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution respectively. After struggle and heroism, integration in public schools grew peaking in the mid-to-late 1980s. In 1991, the Supreme Court allowed the easing of desegregation requirements. Since then, by several measures, integration in public schools of white and non-white students has declined. Discussion: What should be done to counter this decline? For sources go to: https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts

Sources: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/347/483/#annotation ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Board_of_Education ; https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/17/us/school-segregation-brown-v-board-dg/index.html ; https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/05/17/brown-vs-board-70-anniversary-poll/

Post 50:

Discussion: How can our country move away from the political attacks and instead achieve the reasoned, respectful, constructive and nuanced debate that will move our country forward? Historical context: June 1, 1950- Republican Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith delivered the Declaration of Conscience speech on the Senate floor in favor of “some of the basic principles of Americanism- The right to criticize. The right to hold unpopular beliefs. The right to protest. The right of independent thought.” Furthermore, she spoke of these as not just rights, but also as necessities for a functioning government and society- “As members of the minority party…we do have the responsibility of rendering constructive criticism, of clarifying issues, of allaying fears by acting as responsible citizens.” She also spoke for putting America before party loyalty stating “it is high time that we stopped thinking politically as Republicans and Democrats about elections and started thinking patriotically as Americans about national security based on individual freedom. It is high time that we all stopped being tools and victims of totalitarian techniques-techniques that, if continued here unchecked, will surely end what we have come to cherish as the American way of life.” For context to what she meant by “totalitarian-techniques,” Smith was speaking during a time of increasing name-calling on both sides of the aisle including within her own Republican party as this was only about four months after Joseph McCarthy’s “Enemies from Within Speech.” To be clear, she was concerned about spies in our government stating, “there have been enough proved cases… to cause nationwide distrust and strong suspicion,” but she was against “irresponsible…reckless…unproved charges” stating, “I think that it is high time that we remembered that we have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution. I think that it is high time that we remembered that the Constitution, as amended, speaks not only of the freedom of speech but also of trial by jury instead of trial by accusation. Whether it be a criminal prosecution in court or a character prosecution in the Senate, there is little practical distinction when the life of a person has been ruined.” She was also against the division caused by these loose accusations: “Today our country is being psychologically divided by the confusion and the suspicions that are bred in the United States Senate to spread like cancerous tentacles of ‘know nothing, suspect everything’ attitudes.” She was critical of the Democratic Party for specific reasons that she lays out, but she also stated “Yet to displace it with a Republican regime embracing a philosophy that lacks political integrity or intellectual honesty would prove equally disastrous to the nation. The nation sorely needs a Republican victory. But I do not want to see the Republican party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny-Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear…I do not want to see the Republican party win that way. While it might be a fleeting victory for the Republican party, it would be a more lasting defeat for the American people. Surely it would ultimately be suicide for the Republican party and the two-party system that has protected our American liberties from the dictatorship of a one-party system…I do not like the way the Senate has been made a rendezvous for vilification, for selfish political gain at the sacrifice of individual reputations and national unity…As an American, I am shocked at the way Republicans and Democrats alike are playing directly into the Communist design of ‘confuse, divide, and conquer’…As an American, I do not want a Democratic administration ‘whitewash’ or ‘coverup’ any more than I want a Republican smear or witch hunt. As an American, I condemn a Republican Fascist just as much as I condemn a Democrat Communist. I condemn a Democrat Fascist just as much as I condemn a Republican Communist. They are equally dangerous to you and me and to our country. As an American, I want to see our nation recapture the strength and unity it once had when we fought the enemy instead of ourselves.” Smith was brave in giving this speech because she knew McCarthy would likely come after her which he did by removing “her as a member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.” Smith was the first woman to serve in both the House and the Senate and later “the first woman to actively seek the presidential nomination of a major political party.” The rights she states, (“to criticize,” “to hold unpopular beliefs,” “to protest,” and “of independent thought”) are reflective of the unalienable Rights of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, especially “liberty” which is also stated in the Preamble to the Constitution. The Preamble to the Constitution also calls for “a more perfect union” which is what I believe Smith was calling for in her “Declaration of Conscience.” I, and others, think her speech is very relevant today for I frequently hear dismissive name-calling by many politicians and citizens of both parties, instead of the reasoned, respectful, constructive and nuanced debate that will move our country forward. Do you think her speech is relevant today and if so, how is it relevant, and how can we move towards the values she calls for? For sources see: https://www.preamblist.org/timeline . #AMorePerfectUnion; #liberty; #freedomofthought; #freedomofspeech; #Preamble; Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/uEccccMc65z13BAF8

Post 51:

Historical context: June 15, 1898- Establishment of the American Anti-Imperialist League which opposed forceful territorial expansion of the United States especially in the Philippines. In it’s platform, the League directly cited the values of the preambles of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, including “consent of the governed” and “that all men…are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” especially emphasizing “liberty.” Here are quotes from the platform: “We hold that the policy known as imperialism is hostile to liberty and tends toward militarism, an evil from which it has been our glory to be free. We regret that it has become necessary in the land of Washington and Lincoln to reaffirm that all men, of whatever race or color, are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We maintain that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed…We shall oppose for re-election all who in the white house or in congress betray American liberty…We still hope that both of our great political parties will support and defend the declaration of independence in the closing campaign of the century….We cordially invite the co-operation of all men and women who remain loyal to the declaration of independence and the constitution of the United States.” The League had thousands of members including Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie, former President Grover Cleveland, and former President Benjamin Harrison, but “was defeated in the battle of public opinion.” But we honor the American Anti-Imperialist League’s efforts and agree with them that our foreign policy should be consistent with the values in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Additionally, I believe this consistency produces better results for our country in the long run.

Discussion: How can our government better align our foreign policy today with the values stated in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution?

For sources go to: https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts ; Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/AL4HBZWKXibrYwh6A . #liberty, #foreignpolicy, #Preamble, #consentofthegoverned, #allmenarecreatedequal, #antiimperialism Sources: https://shec.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1125#:~:text=We%20maintain%20that%20governments%20derive,national%20administration%20in%20the%20Philippines ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Anti-Imperialist_League

Post 52: on Title IX:

June 23, 1972- President Nixon signs the Education Amendments of 1972 into law including Title IX which states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Although perhaps most known and debated in the context of college sports, “the original statute made no explicit mention of sports” and covers the entire academic experience including “recruitment, admissions, and counseling; financial assistance;… sex-based harassment, which encompasses sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence.” Before Title IX, approximately 42% of students in college were female, and as stated by Harvard Law Professor Jeannie Suk Gersen, “women faced blatant educational inequality, such as exclusion from certain colleges and universities or from certain programs and spaces within those schools, higher admissions standards than men, more frequent tenure denials than men, and myriad other imposed disadvantages relative to men.” One of its chief sponsors, Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana stated when trying to gain support for the amendment, “While the impact of this amendment would be far-reaching, it is not a panacea. It is, however, an important first step in the effort to provide for the women of America something that is rightfully theirs—an equal chance to attend the schools of their choice, to develop the skills they want, and to apply those skills with the knowledge that they will have a fair chance to secure the jobs of their choice with equal pay for equal work.” Title IX has been successful in major ways: By about 1982, ten years after the passage of and partly due to Title IX, over half of those awarded Bachelor’s degrees were female with similar trends in Associate’s and Master’s degrees. As mentioned, sports was not the focus of the original Title IX statue, but there has been much progress in this area: since passage, “the number of female participants in NCAA athletics has drastically increased, growing from merely 30,000 to greater than 150,000.” In summary, Title IX, although not perfect and always evolving, moved us closer to achieving the equality of rights called for in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the values of “justice,” “liberty,” and “general welfare” stated in the Preamble to the Constitution.For Sources go to: https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts ; sources: https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/advocacy/what-is-title-ix/ ; https://pitjournal.unc.edu/2023/01/20/false-assumptions-why-title-ix-is-not-to-blame-for-changes-in-mens-athletics/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_IX ; https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d20/tables/dt20_318.10.asp ; https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html ; https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/06/how-title-ix-transformed-colleges-universities-over-past-50-years/ ; https://sports.yahoo.com/what-is-title-ix-an-impactful-law-thats-often-misunderstood-130019558.html : Image

Post 53:

This is a discussion on government regulations with a historical event to provide context. What do you think?

July 7, 1903- Start of the “March of the Mill Children”: On this day, two hundred strikers including children and their parents began marching with Mary Harris “Mother” Jones from the Philadelphia to New York. This march brought attention to the plight of children under sixteen who worked in textile mills and mines to supplement their parents low incomes or lack of income when a parent was unable to work due to injury or death. Many of these child workers suffered from their own injuries, stunted growth, undernourishment, and lack of schooling. At least 16% of children under 16 (about 1.75 million) were employed (likely many more), with Pennsylvania employing the most of any state. In Pennsylvania, each child worked on average “sixty hours a week for compensation of about $2.50 a week (equivalent to the purchasing power of about $60 in 2010).” Child labor regulations were limited and often poorly enforced. Pennsylvania newspapers under-reported the negative effects of child labor because they were worried about angering the mill owners who had stock in the newspapers. When Mother Jones heard this she said, “Well, I’ve got stock in these little children and I’ll arrange a little publicity.” During the march, children showed their physical injuries and ailments while Mother Jones gave speeches such as “Philadelphia’s mansions were built on the broken bones, the quivering ears and drooping heads of these children.” The march brought significant national attention to the issue and resulted in “a nationwide movement against child labor,” including the formation of the National Child Labor Committee the next year, which pressured legislatures to pass state and federal child labor regulations over the next decades. Why should we remember this event? Because it shows that some companies will cause great harm to the most innocent in our society unless our government passes and enforces strong regulations (at the state or federal level.) It shows that “We the People” can take successful action to pressure our government especially if we clearly demonstrate the harm caused to real people. It illuminates what we and our government can do to live up to the values stated in the Preambles to our founding documents: The Preamble to the Constitution states that one of the purposes of the Constitution is to “promote the general welfare.” Additionally, the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence states that governments exist to “secure” “certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” and a few sentences later also mentions “safety.” In order to achieve these values as stated in the Preambles, and based on evidence from our own history such as the “March of the Mill Children,” I believe our government must pass and enforce strong regulations in particular areas to prevent great harm. Furthermore, our courts should not rule against the regulations that help achieve the values of the Preambles, or they will be ruling against the very reasons that our founding documents state that our government exists (this is particularly important now in light of a recent Supreme Court decision- Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce- that puts more power in the hand of the courts to interpret federal laws.) What do you think? Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/BAMEWkVRLtLV5hDC7 ; for sources go to the relevant section of https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts. Sources: https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/march-of-the-mill-children/; https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/philadelpian-mill-children-march-against-child-labor-exploitation-1903 ; https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/?tdih_month=7&tdih_day=7&tdih_year=&tdih_state=&tdih_theme=&tdih_keywords=

Shorter: July 7, 1903- Start of the “March of the Mill Children”: On this day, two hundred strikers including children and their parents began marching with Mary Harris “Mother” Jones from the Philadelphia to New York. This march brought attention to the plight of children under sixteen who worked in textile mills and mines to supplement their parents low incomes or lack of income when a parent was unable to work due to injury or death. Many of these child workers suffered from their own injuries, stunted growth, undernourishment, and lack of schooling. At least 16% of children under 16 (about 1.75 million) were employed (likely many more), with Pennsylvania employing the most of any state. In Pennsylvania, each child worked on average “sixty hours a week for compensation of about $2.50 a week (equivalent to the purchasing power of about $60 in 2010).” Child labor regulations were limited and often poorly enforced. Pennsylvania newspapers under-reported the negative effects of child labor because they were worried about angering the mill owners who had stock in the newspapers. When Mother Jones heard this she said, “Well, I’ve got stock in these little children and I’ll arrange a little publicity.” During the march, children showed their physical injuries and ailments while Mother Jones gave speeches such as “Philadelphia’s mansions were built on the broken bones, the quivering ears and drooping heads of these children.” The march brought significant national attention to the issue and resulted in “a nationwide movement against child labor,” including the formation of the National Child Labor Committee the next year, which pressured legislatures to pass state and federal child labor regulations over the next decades. Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/BAMEWkVRLtLV5hDC7 ; for sources go to the relevant section of https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts.

Post 54:

With the Republican National Convention 2024 now over, I think it is worth revisiting a speech that Former President Eisenhower delivered at the convention of 1965 on July 14 to see how far today’s party has strayed from its history. In this speech he reminds us that the the party was founded in alignment with the values of “all men are created equal” (in the Preamble to Declaration of Independence) and “justice” and “liberty” (in the Preamble to the Constitution): “Our party, let us never forget, was born out of protest against a supreme indignity to mankind — slavery — the story of which is found on the darkest pages of America's history, both North and South, which persisted as a social cancer even in this land of liberty until Abraham Lincoln eliminated it a century ago, supported by our party, which he led. This Republican party, then, was conceived to battle injustice; it was born committed against degradation of people. So it is more than mere coincidence that we Republicans have as an article of political faith, faith in the individual. Nor is it coincidence that our party so born has never ceased to champion the rights and privileges of every citizen. regardless of race or station.” Eisenhower then uses this history as a launchpad for discussing that the belief in the individual drives much of their platform at that time including:

Civil Rights: “Republicans in Congress to their great credit voted far more overwhelmingly than did our opponents to pass the Civil Rights Bill”…“This is the kind of help in which Republicans believe, the kind they evidenced when, under the leadership of a Republican Administration, the first breakthrough in 80 years was made in obtaining civil rights—civil legislation. Except for that success in 1957, and except for Republican leadership in the current Congress, it is scarcely likely that the comprehensive bill of 1964 could ever have become law.”

Government in private lives: “It is not our claim, therefore, and may it never be, that we or any others have the right or duty to control the individual in the legitimate conduct of his daily life. Rather, we have ever sought to create an atmosphere of liberty and to sustain its substance. Consistent with this effort, we have maintained that in all those things that the citizen can better do for himself than can his government, the government ought not to interfere.”

On legislation against financial concentration in the hands of a few: Eisenhower states that “Protected by laws against an unwarranted concentration of industrial or financial power, our citizenry proudly and happily pushed forward to new levels of achievement and prosperity.”

On fiscal responsibility: “That Administration stood for integrity in government. It stood for fiscal responsibility, including disciplined management of public spending.”…“By our insistence upon paying now for what we demand from government today instead of charging our bill to posterity, we are seeing to it that those who follow us will not one day be working out their lives paying off gigantic debts run up through our own selfishness and profligacy. This concern for the future is in keeping with Republican conviction and American tradition. America is here not just for a day, a year, a century—it is here in the Constitution we read as the purpose of our inspired founders to secure ‘the blessings of liberty to ourselves and to our posterity;’ and any political party that counsels us today to ignore the needs of tomorrow so that on deficit spending we may live today in comfort and ease is false to America's true meaning and to her destiny.” (The italicized phrase is in the Preamble to the Constitution.)

On empowering local and state governments: “It insisted that all public responsibilities be carried out wherever possible by local and state governments, by the Federal Government only when necessary.”…“Now, since we Republicans believe in diversity — diversifying power and political authority — let us remember that one effective way to counteract this trend is to insist upon better government in communities and in the several states.” “Good local governments will attack these problems by legal methods. They can impose punishment more in keeping with the crimes committed, especially in the case of repeaters. They can expand police protection, build more and better schools and provide better lighting on our streets and parks, and use other methods.” “It was an Administration which set its face for the people and their well‐being and directly against any increase in the concentration of power in Washington.” “In this entire field I would profoundly hope that the Republican party will assume its proper place in the forefront of the forces fighting for decency, safety and progress in all the localities that make up this fair land.”

On infrastructure, schools, and strong communities: “For half a century after Lincoln's inauguration our country lived under almost continuous Republican leadership and it prospered mightily. Transcontinental systems of railways, roads and waterways, great manufacturing plants, schools and bustling communities — they sprang forth as if by magic—all the product of a free people vigorously and freely competing among themselves.”

On social spending and programs: “It was in this framework of conviction and action that a Republican Administration in the nineteen‐fifties extended Social Security coverage to 10 million more people; it is why Republicans increased Social Security payments to meet the increased costs caused by earlier inflation. For the same reason, we initiated programs to meet the conditions in chronically depressed areas, programs designed to help people help themselves. Also, it was why we took steps by law to insure the ability of able young men and women to obtain university training today so badly needed by the nation. Now, in all such work the Republican aim has been not merely to meet the immediate and inescapable material needs of the citizen, but so to act as to do no damage to his pride, dignity, self‐reliance and self‐confidence.”…"Of course, individually and as a party, we must never shut our eyes to problems that adversely affect numbers of our people and that they are unable themselves to solve. These include certain phases of health, education, care of the aged, civil rights, slums and impoverished areas.”

On the judicial system: “We can demand that our judges dispense justice without fear or favor, ignoring special pleas for any of us, even where friends or family are involved.”

On foreign policy and military spending: “Our party stood for the sound foreign policy within which every critical development would be carefully judged and consistent actions forthrightly taken. Recognizing that in this troubled and threatened world, security forces unmatched in efficiency and strength are necessary to sustain the peace, our party provided them. At the same time, it insisted upon avoiding the peaks and valleys in military activity that spell always waste and inefficiency and extravagance.”

On rejecting ideological orthodoxy, extremism, radicalism, hate, and intolerance: “We must learn that when any Republican concerns himself too much in condemning this or that faction of decent peoples in the party he is hurting himself and the party. Strength is found in unity under a consensus broad enough to accommodate the honest thinking of all who subscribe to our basic doctrine.”… “Clearly, clearly, we should set some definite limits on the extent to which each Republican should go in trying to prove himself a better, wiser and sounder Republican than any of his fellows. Cannot we also agree wholeheartedly that radicalism of any kind, whether of the right or the left, is bad —not simply for our party but also for America. I believe with all my heart that the kind of party ours must be is one that rejects as unfit and unwholesome all who are purveyors of hatred and intolerance, who are prone to the use of violence, who malign the character of fellow Americans and who baselessly charge decent Americans with treasonable acts or intentions. We should reject equally those who misguidedly, through extremist economic nostrums and wishful thinking in foreign affairs, would weaken or deliberately destroy this Republic.”…“We can and we should compete vigorously and honorably among ourselves. But never can we afford to permit ourselves to be led astray by meaningless siogans, labels, preconceived notions and prejudices. And we shall not be, if we cleave to the straight path of principle and common sense”…“If the answer be that these are truly among our fundamental goals, then let us renew our strength from the fountain of unity, not drown ourselves in a whirlpool of factional strife and divisive ambitions. And let us not stain our image by consorting with radicals of any kind.”

Consistent with Eisenhower’s statements, I hope the Republican Party of today acts in line with its history to:

promote civil rights,
avoid intrusion into the private lives of all individuals of our country,
pass and enforce laws against today’s “unwarranted concentration of industrial or financial power,”
reduce the federal debt,
empower and invest in all local communities to improve their infrastructure and schools,
support social programs “to help people help themselves” including in “chronically depressed areas”
“never shut our eyes to problems that adversely affect numbers of our people and that they are unable themselves to solve. These include certain phases of health, education, care of the aged, civil rights, slums and impoverished areas.”
promote an impartial judicial system,
eliminate “waste and inefficiency and extravagance” in military spending,
and recognize “wholeheartedly that radicalism of any kind, whether of the right or the left, is bad” and reject “all who are purveyors of hatred and intolerance, who are prone to the use of violence, who malign the character of fellow Americans.”

However, I fear they will do exactly the opposite. What do you think?

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/1964/07/15/archives/transcript-of-eisenhowers-speech-to-the-gop-convention.html ; https://www.preamblism.org ; image: https://images.app.goo.gl/QPaAK17fCj831v8G9

Threads (500 characters or less):

Its worth revisiting a speech that Former President Eisenhower delivered in 1965 to see how far today’s party has strayed from its history. He stated “Our party, let us never forget, was born out of protest against a supreme indignity to mankind— slavery...This Republican party, then, was conceived to battle injustice; it was born committed against degradation of people...our party so born has never ceased to champion the rights and privileges of every citizen regardless of race or station.”

Post 55:

July 19-20, 1848- One of the first (if not the first) US women’s rights convention, at Seneca Falls, NY, in which the members adopted the “Declaration of Sentiments” drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. This document cleverly starts by utilizing but changing the language of the Declaration of Independence including its Preamble here (with main word change capitalized and other changes in italics): “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men AND WOMEN are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.” As historian Linda Kerber states, “By tying the complaints of women to the most distinguished political statement the nation had made [Stanton] implied that women’s demands were no more or less radical than the American Revolution had been; that they were in fact an implicit fulfillment of the commitments already made.” The Seneca Falls Convention was an important early step on the long road towards the 19th amendment which prohibits the government from denying women the right to vote, and a road which continues today toward equal rights for women. We honor all women who fought and still fight for equal rights in the US and around the world. Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/EZFs5SczxbN9p3mY8 For sources go to the relevant section of https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts . Sources: https://www.let.rug.nl/usa/documents/1826-1850/the-seneca-falls-declaration-1848.php ; Linda K. Kerber, “From the Declaration of Independence to the Declaration of Sentiments: The Legal Status of Women in the Early Republic, 1776-1848,” Human Rights 6, No. 2 (Winter 1977): 115.; https://www.nps.gov/articles/declaration-of-sentiments.htm#_ftn2 ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_Falls_Convention ; https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-19/#:~:text=The%20right%20of%20citizens%20of,this%20article%20by%20appropriate%20legislation ; https://www.nps.gov/wori/learn/historyculture/declaration-of-sentiments.htm

Shorter: July 19-20, 1848- One of the first (if not the first) US women’s rights convention, at Seneca Falls, NY, in which the members adopted the “Declaration of Sentiments” drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. This document cleverly starts by utilizing but changing the language of the Declaration of Independence including its Preamble here (with main word change capitalized and other changes in italics): “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men AND WOMEN are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.” As historian Linda Kerber states, “By tying the complaints of women to the most distinguished political statement the nation had made [Stanton] implied that women’s demands were no more or less radical than the American Revolution had been; that they were in fact an implicit fulfillment of the commitments already made.” Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/EZFs5SczxbN9p3mY8 For sources go to the relevant section of https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts . Sources: https://www.let.rug.nl/usa/documents/1826-1850/the-seneca-falls-declaration-1848.php ; Linda K. Kerber, “From the Declaration of Independence to the Declaration of Sentiments: The Legal Status of Women in the Early Republic, 1776-1848,” Human Rights 6, No. 2 (Winter 1977): 115.; https://www.nps.gov/articles/declaration-of-sentiments.htm#_ftn2 ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_Falls_Convention ; https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-19/#:~:text=The%20right%20of%20citizens%20of,this%20article%20by%20appropriate%20legislation ; https://www.nps.gov/wori/learn/historyculture/declaration-of-sentiments.htm

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July 24, 2024- As President Biden explained his decision to end his bid for reelection in a prime-time address to the nation, he referenced the preambles to both the Constitution and Declaration of Independence when he said: '“I revere this office, but I love my country more. It's been the honor of my life to serve as your president. But in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think it's more important than any title. I draw strength and I find joy in working for the American people. But this sacred task of perfecting our Union -- it's not about me. It's about you, your families, your futures. It's about ‘We the People.’ We can never forget that, and I never have.”...”I ran for president four years ago because I believed and still do that the soul of America was at stake. The very nature of who we are was at stake. And that's still the case. America is an idea -- an idea stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It's the most powerful idea in the history of the world. That idea is that ‘we hold these truths to be self-evident.’ We're all ‘created equal, endowed by’ our ‘Creator with certain unalienable rights:’ ‘life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.’ We've never fully lived up to it -- to this sacred idea, but we've never walked away from it either. And I do not believe the American people will walk away from it now. In just a few months, the American people will choose the course of America's future.”

I don’t always agree with President Biden, but I agree with these statements that an important through-line in American history is the ideals stated in the preambles, that we have never fully achieved them, and that they are not inevitably going to thrive- instead, if we want these ideals to flourish, we much continuously act to defend and promote them- how do you think we can best do this? Sources: https://abcnews.go.com/.../read-bidens-prime.../story... ; https://www.preamblism.org; hashtags: #Preamble; #allmenarecreatedequal; #WeThePeople; #lifelibertyandthepursuitofhappiness; #UnalienableRights

Short for Threads: Pres. Biden: "America is an idea -- an idea stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It's the most powerful idea in the history of the world. That idea is that ‘we hold these truths to be self-evident.’ We're all ‘created equal, endowed by’ our ‘Creator with certain unalienable rights:’ ‘life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.’ We've never fully lived up to it -- to this sacred idea, but we've never walked away from it either.” preamblism.org

Post 57:

July 28, 1917- The Silent Protest Parade: ~10,000 Black Americans march in silence in New York City to protest lynchings and racial violence especially in reaction to the murder of over forty and displacement of about 6,000 Black Americans in the East St Louis Riots. It was the one of the first large mass protest marches by Black Americans. As stated by Professor Chad Williams, “The ‘Silent Protest Parade’ marked the beginning of a new epoch in the long black freedom struggle.”

The parade leaders wrote a petition to Congress and President Wilson stating, “We, the committee of the Negro Silent Protest Parade,…ask…that lynching and mob violence be made a national crime….” Neither Congress nor President Wilson acted, despite his lofty rhetoric about America helping make the world “safe” in World War I.

One of the signs in the parade quoted the preamble to the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” As an example of how America was not living up to this quote, right below it, the same sign referenced the World War I draft registration cards which stated in its bottom left hand corner: “If you are of African descent tear off this corner.” image: https://beinecke.library.yale.edu/1917NAACPSilentProtestParade#&gid=1&pid=4 ; For sources go to the relevant section of https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts. Sources: https://beinecke.library.yale.edu/1917NAACPSilentProtestParade; https://theconversation.com/100-years-ago-african-americans-marched-down-5th-avenue-to-declare-that-black-lives-matter-81427 ; https://beinecke.library.yale.edu/1917NAACPSilentProtestParade#&gid=2&pid=1; https://images.prismic.io/nyhs-prod/remembering-the-naacps-1917-silent-protest-parade-and-the-refusal-to-accept-barbaric-acts-4.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,0,1024,448&w=1024&h=448; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Parade; image: https://beinecke.library.yale.edu/1917NAACPSilentProtestParade#&gid=1&pid=4; https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/address-to-congress-declaration-of-war-against-germany

Post 58:

August 4, 1790- US Coast Guard official birthday: With encouragement from Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Congress authorized the building of ten cutters to enforce tariff laws (this was when the vast majority of government revenue was raised by tariffs) and the creation of the Revenue-Marine which was later called the Revenue Cutter Service which in 1915 merged with the Life Saving Service to become the US Coast Guard. The Coast Guard performs vital services to our nation: “Since 1790, the Coast Guard has safeguarded the American people and promoted national security, border security, and economic prosperity in a complex and evolving maritime environment. The Coast Guard saves those in peril and protects the Nation from all maritime threats.” Thank you and happy Coast Guard Day to all who honorably serve and have served in this branch of the United States Armed Forces. Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/qmpviaPq7SW6fy2u8; For sources go to https://www.preamblist.org/timeline (August 4, 1790); Hashtags: #USCoastGuard ; #CoastGuard; Sources: https://www.history.uscg.mil/Complete-Time-Line/Time-Line-1700-1800/; https://www.uscg.mil/About/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariff_of_1789#:~:text=The%20Tariff%20Act%20of%201789,charged%206%C2%A2%20per%20ton.

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August 5, 1936- Jesse Owens won his third Olympic Gold medal at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. He would win his fourth a few days later. As President Jimmy Carter stated upon Owens death in 1980, “Perhaps no athlete better symbolized the human struggle against tyranny, poverty, and racial bigotry.” Owens was born in 1913 into poverty in Alabama as the youngest of ten children and the son of a sharecropper. He often suffered from severe illnesses and his family could not afford to bring him to a doctor including when his mother cut a growing bump off his chest with a kitchen knife while he bit down on a leather strap. When he was nine, Owens and family moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he practiced running in the morning, then went to school, and then worked menial jobs in the afternoon and evening. He continued this combination of running, school, and part-time jobs at The Ohio State University at which he won championships and broke world records (including three in forty-five minutes on May 25, 1935), but due to racism, he had to live off-campus, and often eat at “blacks-only” restaurants and, when traveling, often stay at “blacks-only” hotels. At the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany, he won four gold medals in the face of Nazi racist ideology. He faced further racism when he returned to the United States. After a ticker-tape parade in New York City in his honor, he was not allowed through the front door of the Waldorf Astoria. Furthermore, he and the other black Olympic athletes weren’t invited to the White House, but the white ones were. He was discriminated against financially too as he stated, ““After I came home from the 1936 Olympics with my four medals, it became increasingly apparent that everyone was going to slap me on the back, want to shake my hand or have me up to their suite. But no one was going to offer me a job.” But as he did all his life, he persevered and in 1942 got a job at Ford Motor Company and then opened his own public relations firm as well as worked for Illinois and then the federal government. He excelled at public speaking, wrote several books including about civil rights, and worked closely with underprivileged youth, all while raising three daughters with his wife. Owens was a role model for hard work despite the obstacles and stated, “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/EkiH81prryqfrYeW8 ; For sources go to https://www.preamblist.org/timeline (August 5, 1936)

Sources: https://time.com/4227802/jesse-owens-race-triumph-excerpt/ ; https://www.biography.com/athletes/jesse-owens ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Owens ; https://library.osu.edu/site/jesseowens/legacy/#:~:text=Meanwhile%2C%20Owens%20spent%20a%20lot,other%20mementoes%20to%20honor%20him. ; https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-nazi-olympics-berlin-1936-african-american-voices-and-jim-crow-america#:~:text=%E2%80%9CAfter%20I%20came%20home%20from,to%20offer%20me%20a%20job.%E2%80%9D ; https://youtu.be/gn-Xg158TcQ

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August 7, 1948- Alice Coachman became the first Black woman in the world to win an Olympic Gold medal. Born in segregated Georgia in 1923 into a family with ten kids, Alice grew up going to school, working agricultural jobs to supplement her family’s income, and training in athletics. She overcame discrimination in a time when many believed girls should not play sports; even her father used to discourage and even sometimes whip her for playing sports. She also overcame discrimination for being Black; when she was not allowed to train with white children in organized sports or official athletic facilities, she trained by herself often barefoot and with sticks and a rope to practice the high jump. She won numerous national championships in both sprinting and high jump from 1939 to 1948 and made the 1948 Olympics, the first to be held since World War II, at which she won the high jump gold and broke the Olympic record. On her return, her achievement was celebrated in Georgia but due to racism, “had to leave her own celebration through a side door.” Her victory inspired and helped open the door for the great American black female athletes to come including many more gold medal winners. After the Olympics, she further gave back to her community by becoming a teacher, track coach, and helping athletes-in-need through the Alice Coachman Foundation. At age 73, she stated, “When the going gets tough and you feel like throwing your hands in the air, listen to that voice that tells you 'Keep going. Hang in there.' Guts and determination will pull you through." And she emphasized humility when she stated, "From the very first gold medal I won in 1939, my mama used to stress being humble. You're no better than anyone else. The people you pass on the ladder will be the same people you'll be with when the ladder comes down." Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/PFseQgedXgBQYnY28 ; For sources go to https://www.preamblist.org/timeline (August 7, 1948)

Sources: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/alice-coachman ; https://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/27/sports/sports-of-the-times-good-things-happening-for-one-who-decided-to-wait.html ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Coachman ; https://www.biography.com/athlete/alice-coachman

Post 61:

August 8, 1945- President Truman signed United Nations Charter making the US the first nation to join. The UN has never lived up to expectations in promoting and maintaining global peace and has certainly had its fair share of failures and corruption. Even so, it has also had successes, has an important role to play, and we should support it for a world without it is likely worse. As Truman stated when asking the Senate to ratify the charter, “This Charter points down the only road to enduring peace. There is no other. Let us not hesitate to join hands with the peace-loving peoples of the earth and start down that road, with God's help, and with firm resolve that we can and will reach our goal.” For sources go to https://www.preamblist.org/timeline (August 8, 1945)

Post 62:

August 10, 1988- President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 granting reparations for the internment of American citizens and permanent residents of Japanese descent during World War II. During the signing ceremony, Reagan recognized the loyalty and military achievements of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II and repeated a statement he made in 1945 in honor of one such Japanese-American hero, Staff Sergeant Kazuo Masuda, who was killed in action and received the Distinguished Service Cross, “Blood that has soaked into the sands of a beach is all of one color. America stands unique in the world: the only country not founded on race but on a way, an ideal. Not in spite of but because of our polyglot background, we have had all the strength in the world. That is the American way.''

Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/XmZYjE1CBkoNmSs69 ; For sources go to https://www.preamblist.org/timeline (August 10, 1988);

Sources: https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/remarks-signing-bill-providing-restitution-wartime-internment-japanese-american ; https://encyclopedia.densho.org/Kazuo_Masuda/

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August 12 or 13, 1918- Opha May Johnson became the first known woman to officially enlist in the United States Marine Corps during World War I serving as a clerk in Arlington, Virginia. After her official service in the Corps ended, she continued to meet with and support women in the military. She “paved the way for women in the Corps” taking an important step in the long walk towards the spirit of equality stated in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence. The same document also promotes on the values of “security” and “safety” and the Preamble to the Constitution calls for “common defense”- these are all values that Opha May Johnson supported with her service.

Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/KVxJYFHppSk99Dht6

For sources go to https://www.preamblist.org/timeline (August 12 or 13, 1918)

Sources: https://www.mca-marines.org/wp-content/uploads/Opha-May-Johnson.pdf ; https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/09/22/the-first-woman-marine-in-1918-she-couldnt-vote-but-rushed-to-serve/

Post 64:

August 18, 1920- Nineteenth amendment, in which women gained the right to vote nationwide, was ratified. The amendment states: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” This amendment took us a very important step closer to achieving the spirit of equality of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the value stated therein of “consent of the governed” as well as the values of “justice,” “liberty,” and “general welfare” of the Preamble to the Constitution. Many sacrificed much for this right. Women’s suffrage seems so obviously right to most us now, but these women encountered significant obstacles and abuse in achieving this milestone. Many were ridiculed, harassed, arrested, and physically assaulted and subjected themselves to hunger strikes for their cause. One notable example occurred in 1917. Beginning in January, thousands of “Silent Sentinels” nonviolently and often silently protested for women’s suffrage in front of the White House. “Nearly 500 were arrested, and 168 served jail time.” When the DC jail could no longer hold the number of women being jailed, many were jailed in the Occoquan Workhouse nearby in Virginia. There, on November 14, 1917, almost forty guards physically assaulted many of the over thirty women held. This became known as the “Night of Terror” which was widely reported by the press and gained more sympathy for women’s suffrage. Thank you to the women of the Suffrage movement who sacrificed so much and fought so hard and skillfully for this amendment, and notably for fighting so long. As one of the earliest advocates for women’s suffrage (and abolition of slavery), Sarah Grimke, wrote in 1837: “I ask no favors for my sex. I surrender not our claim to equality. All I ask of our brethren is, that they will take their feet from off our necks, and permit us to stand upright on that ground which God designed us to occupy.” What can we do today to continue the fight for women’s rights?

Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/zUNiFb2kYs3BQXF39

For sources go to https://www.preamblist.org/timeline (August 18, 1920)

Sources: https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-19/#:~:text=The%20right%20of%20citizens%20of,State%20on%20account%20of%20sex ; https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/19th-amendment-ratified-tennessee-thanks-to-one-vote ; https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sarah_Grimk%C3%A9 ; https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sarah-moore-grimke ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Sentinels#Occoquan_Workhouse_and_the_Night_of_Terror

Post 65:

September 5, 1882- Labor Day- The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated in New York City in early September 1882 and later in several other states. In 1894, Congress passed and President Grover Cleveland signed the Labor Day federal holiday into law to happen on the first Monday of every September. According to the Department of Labor, “Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.” It is also a day to celebrate the successes of the labor movement from which many of us benefit including the eight hour day, the forty hour week with a two-day weekend, overtime pay, workers compensation when injured on the job, the minimum wage, child labor laws, paid vacations, sick leave, lunch breaks, safer working conditions, and protected family and medical unpaid leave. But many today do not enjoy all these benefits. Specifically many work more than one full-time job or shift to support themselves and their family which is not only draining for those individuals, but also is harmful to their families and society like when parents can’t spend much time with their kids because they need to work more than 60 hours a week just to feed, clothe, and house them and cover basic health and dental visits. This amount of work and stress at making ends meet detracts from their and their families right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” called for in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the negative effects on society detract from the “general welfare” called for in the Preamble to the Constitution. Therefore, this Labor Day, The Preamblist Movement calls for companies to pay employees a “living wage” that is enough to meet the basic needs of an individual and a “family wage” for heads of household that is enough to raise kids without government subsidies. We believe in the dignity of work. We believe that fostering an environment in which an individual can support themselves and their family through a decent paying job is best for that individual, their family, and society. But when we don’t foster this environment and we enable companies to pay low wages, we end up needing government programs which are not nearly as beneficial as decent paying jobs, so we all lose. In response to similar posts, I have received replies that lower income individuals should just work harder and educate themselves more and I am all for that when its reasonable. But its not practical nor beneficial when they are already working more than one full time job or shift and have children who need time with their parents. Therefore, lets call on companies to pay a living and family wage and demand our government legislate this. Maybe we should require large companies to earn their low tax rates by paying all their workers living and family wages here in the United States?

For sources go to https://www.preamblist.org/social-media-posts post #65

Sources: https://www.unionplus.org/blog/union-made/eight-reasons-thank-unions ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Labor_Standards_Act_of_1938 ; https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history ; https://www.dol.gov/laborday ; https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/more-americans-are-working-two-jobs-to-make-ends-meet/ ; https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/more-americans-are-working-two-jobs-to-make-ends-meet/ ; https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/27/nearly-70-percent-of-americans-are-looking-for-extra-work-to-combat-inflation.html ; https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2023/01/17/working-multiple-jobs-here-are-some-reminders-to-save-your-sanity/

Post 66:

September 8, 1975- Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, of the US Airforce, who volunteered to serve three tours in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, appears on the cover of Time Magazine with the title “I Am a Homosexual” and becomes an inspiration to the gay community. “He was the first gay service member to purposely out himself to the military to fight their ban on gays” and “Matlovich was the first named openly gay person to appear on the cover of a U.S. newsmagazine. According to author Randy Shilts, ‘It marked the first time the young gay movement had made the cover of a major newsweekly. To a movement still struggling for legitimacy, the event was a major turning point.’” A few months before appearing on the magazine cover, Matlovich came out after to his commanding officer in the Air Force (in which he was serving as an instructor in race relations classes after his time in Vietnam). Even though he knew the military had a “ban on gays” and that he risked a less than honorable discharge, he delivered a letter about his homosexuality to his commanding officer which included the statement “I consider myself to be a homosexual and fully qualified for further military service. My almost twelve years of unblemished service supports this position.” During the discharge hearing, an Air Force lawyer said that he could remain in the Air Force only if he signed a pledge that he would “never practice homosexuality again” which Matlovich refused. “Despite his exemplary military record, tours of duty in Vietnam, and high performance evaluations, the panel ruled Matlovich unfit for service, and he was recommended for a General (Under Honorable Conditions) discharge.” It was later upgraded to honorable and next Matlovich sued for reinstatement and won in District Court, but rather than reinstate him the Air Force gave him a financial settlement which he accepted. Matlovich was also excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for homosexuality. In 1986, Matlovich was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS which he announced publicly and he was later arrested outside the White House protesting for a more robust government response to the disease. He continued to be an activist until he died in 1988 at age 45.

His brave service in combat was for the “common defense” stated in the Preamble to the Constitution and the “safety” and “future security” stated in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence. His brave fight for gay rights brought us one step closer to realizing the dream stated in Preamble to the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” for being able to love who one chooses is a key to liberty and happiness. Liberty is also a value stated in the Preamble to the Constitution as well as “justice” for which Matlovich was also fighting.

For sources go to https://www.preamblist.org/timeline (September 8, 1975)

Sources: https://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/matlovich-letter.jpg ; https://time.com/4019076/40-years-leonard-matlovich/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Matlovich

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September 9, 1966- President Lyndon Johnson signs the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Act into law. Before the act, “by 1965, automobile accidents had become the leading cause of death of Americans under age 44.” After the act, “By 1970, motor-vehicle-related death rates were decreasing by both the public health measure (deaths per 100,000 population) and the traffic safety indicator (deaths per VMT).” The act is an example of the government fulfilling its foundational values as stated in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution specifically: “life,” “safety,” and “security” stated in the Preamble to the Declaration and “general welfare” and “our posterity” stated in the Preamble to the Constitution. What other areas do you believe the government should act for these values?

For sources go to https://www.preamblist.org/timeline (September 9, 1966)

Image: https://highways.dot.gov/safety/learn-safety/road-safety-fundamentals-html-version/unit-1-foundations-road-safety

Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Traffic-and-Motor-Vehicle-Safety-Act ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Traffic_and_Motor_Vehicle_Safety_Act ;

Post 68:

The Preamblist Movement has launched its inaugural cash-prize essay competition so we can hear your ideas on how to solve one of today's biggest political problems using the preambles to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. These preambles state the foundational values of the US government. However, these preambles are underused by all its branches and parties. The first prize will be: a $250 check, a publication clearly attributed to your name on our website ( https://www.preamblism.org ), and a t-shirt of your choice from our website. The essay should be between 1000 to 2000 words excluding footnotes, and all essays must be submitted by 11:59pm U.S. eastern time by November 22, 2024. For more information go to: https://www.preamblist.org/essay-competition , and please share it widely.

Post 69:

September 15, 1963- Today is the anniversary of a tragic event: the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church with dynamite by the KKK on a Sunday morning, murdering four black girls under the age of 15. We can still learn much from this terrible act today. As Martin Luther King Jr stated a few days at the funeral of three of the girls, “And so this afternoon in a real sense they (the murdered girls) have something to say to each of us in their death. They have something to say to every minister of the gospel who has remained silent behind the safe security of stained-glass windows. They have something to say to every politician who has fed his constituents with the stale bread of hatred and the spoiled meat of racism. They have something to say to a federal government that has compromised with the undemocratic practices of southern Dixiecrats and the blatant hypocrisy of right-wing northern Republicans. They have something to say to every Negro who has passively accepted the evil system of segregation and who has stood on the sidelines in a mighty struggle for justice. They say to each of us, black and white alike, that we must substitute courage for caution. They say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them, but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murderers. Their death says to us that we must work passionately and unrelentingly for the realization of the American dream.”

For sources go to https://www.preamblist.org/timeline (September 15, 1963)

Sources:

https://jemartisby.substack.com/p/mlks-eulogy-after-the-16th-street ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Street_Baptist_Church_bombing

Post 70:

September 22, 1862- President Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation which included the statement: “That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” Lincoln had been advised by his cabinet to wait until a significant Union victory in battle for which he utilized the Battle of Antietam. The preliminary Emancipation Proclamation was important because it clearly announced Lincoln’s intentions to free the slaves in 100 days in places that were still in rebellion. Before this, although most knew of Lincoln’s hatred of slavery, it was not clear how he would proceed. Although the statement did not announce that the Union would free all the slaves (as it did not apply to those not in rebellion like Maryland), it, nevertheless, was an important step towards the equality called for in the Preamble to Declaration of Independence and the liberty, justice and general welfare stated in the Preamble to the Constitution. No one states this better than Frederick Douglass in his Douglass’ Monthly issue of October 1862 a few weeks after the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation: “Common sense, the necessities of the war, to say nothing of the dictation of justice and humanity have at last prevailed. We shout for joy that we live to record this righteous decree…"Free forever" oh! long enslaved millions, whose cries have so vexed the air and sky, suffer on a few more days in sorrow, the hour of your deliverance draws nigh! Oh! Ye millions of free and loyal men who have earnestly sought to free your bleeding country from the dreadful ravages of revolution and anarchy, lift up now your voices with joy and thanksgiving for with freedom to the slave will come peace and safety to your country. President Lincoln has embraced in this proclamation the law of Congress passed more than six months ago, prohibiting the employment of any part of the army and naval forces of the United States, to return fugitive slaves to their masters, commanded all officers of the army and navy to respect and obey its provisions. He has still further declared his intention to urge upon the Legislature of all the slave States not in rebellion the immediate or gradual abolishment of slavery. But read the proclamation for it is the most important of any to which the President of the United States has ever signed his name…It recognizes and declares the real nature of the contest, and places the North on the side of justice and civilization, and the rebels on the side of robbery and barbarism…Fighting the slaveholders with one hand and holding the slaves with the other, has been fairly tried and has failed. We have now inaugurated a wiser and better policy, a policy which is better for the loyal cause than an hundred thousand armed men. The Star Spangled Banner is now the harbinger of Liberty and the millions in bondage, inured to hardships, accustomed to toil, ready to suffer, ready to fight, to dare and to die, will rally under that banner wherever they see it gloriously unfolded to the breeze.”

For sources go to https://www.preamblist.org/timeline (September 22, 1862)

Sources:

https://rbscp.lib.rochester.edu/4406 ; https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/american_originals_iv/sections/transcript_preliminary_emancipation.html ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_Proclamation

Image: https://www.loc.gov/resource/lprbscsm.scsm0950/

Shorter for Instagram:

September 22, 1862- President Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation which included the statement: “That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” Lincoln had been advised by his cabinet to wait until a significant Union victory in battle for which he utilized the Battle of Antietam. The preliminary Emancipation Proclamation was important because it clearly announced Lincoln’s intentions to free the slaves in 100 days in places that were still in rebellion. Before this, although most knew of Lincoln’s hatred of slavery, it was not clear how he would proceed. Although the statement did not announce that the Union would free all the slaves (as it did not apply to those not in rebellion like Maryland), it, nevertheless, was an important step towards the equality called for in the Preamble to Declaration of Independence and the liberty, justice and general welfare stated in the Preamble to the Constitution. No one states this better than Frederick Douglass in his Douglass’ Monthly issue of October 1862 a few weeks after the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation: “Common sense, the necessities of the war, to say nothing of the dictation of justice and humanity have at last prevailed. We shout for joy that we live to record this righteous decree…’Free forever’ oh! long enslaved millions, whose cries have so vexed the air and sky, suffer on a few more days in sorrow, the hour of your deliverance draws nigh! Oh! Ye millions of free and loyal men who have earnestly sought to free your bleeding country from the dreadful ravages of revolution and anarchy, lift up now your voices with joy and thanksgiving for with freedom to the slave will come peace and safety to your country…The Star Spangled Banner is now the harbinger of Liberty and the millions in bondage…will rally under that banner wherever they see it gloriously unfolded to the breeze.” For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (Sept 22, 1862).

Post 71:

September 29, 1918- Battle of St Quentin Canal- On this day in World War I, the American Army II Corps, fighting alongside British and Australian forces, broke through and achieved “the first full breach of the (German) Hindenberg Line” since it was built in early 1917. Prior to this day, the Hindenberg Line was considered by many, on both sides of the war, as nearly impregnable, and British leadership had major doubts about this attack. This breach of the line dealt a major blow to German morale in the war effort including among its highest level of command. Within the Allies, the Americans suffered the heaviest casualties of about 13,000 at this battle. In particular, the 107th Infantry Regiment sustained heavy losses with “396 men killed and had 753 men wounded out of a total of 1,662 Soldiers who began the battle” and “suffered the worst casualties sustained in a single day by any U.S. regiment during the war. ” The Bellicourt American Monument lies within the location of this battle: “it commemorates the achievements and sacrifices of the 90,000 American troops who served in battle with the British Armies in France during 1917 and 1918.” We honor their sacrifice for our country. For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (Sept 29, 1918).

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_St_Quentin_Canal ; https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article/1647643/ny-guard-soldiers-broke-hindenburg-line-100-years-ago/ ; https://www.abmc.gov/Bellicourt ; http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/stquent.htm ; https://www.pritzkermilitary.org/explore/museum/past-exhibits/lest-we-forget-doughboys-sammies-and-sailors-great-war/doughboys-saint-quentin-cana ;

Post 72:

October 13, 1775- US Navy Official Birthday. The Continental Congress votes to purchase two ships to be fitted with guns and crew to intercept British ships carrying munitions to the British Army in America, and to “create a naval committee to oversee the purchase of the ships and write a set of regulations for their management.” Since then, the Navy has waned and waxing in size; currently, there currently are over 300,000 personnel on active duty and over 100,000 in the Ready Reserve and we honor and thank them and all veterans for their service.

In terms of Preamblism, the Navy plays a crucial role in promoting the values in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble of the Constitution. The values of liberty, safety, future security, common defense, domestic tranquility, and general welfare are reflected in the Navy’s current mission statement which includes “the U.S. Navy protects America at sea. Alongside our allies and partners, we defend freedom, preserve economic prosperity, and keep the seas open and free.” These same values plus “consent of the governed” and equality are reflected in the Navy’s Sailors Creed: “I am a United States Sailor. I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and I will obey the orders of those appointed over me. I represent the fighting spirit of the Navy and those who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy around the world. I proudly serve my country's Navy combat team with Honor, Courage and Commitment. I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.” For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (October 13, 1775).

Image: https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Photo-Gallery/igphoto/2003564119/

Sources: https://www.navy.mil/About/Our-Heritage/ ; https://www.history.navy.mil/today-in-history/october-13.html; https://allhands.navy.mil/Features/Navy-Birthday/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy ;

Post 73:

October 19, 1781- Victory at Yorktown- The forces of British General Cornwallis surrender to the American Continental Army and its allies. Upon hearing this, the British Prime Minister allegedly proclaimed, “Oh God, it’s all over.” Three months later, the British government decided to negotiate an end to the war which, two years later, resulted in American independence. Therefore, in the long run, the victory at Yorktown brought us closer to the ideals of Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, ideals which could not be achieved under Britain. The central British government was ~3,500 miles away at a time in which it took five to nine weeks to sail to America, so it could not possibly fully understand nor represent us. The British government treated America for what it was to them: a group of colonies that existed to enrich Britain. Furthermore, the British government did not derive, as stated in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, its “just powers from the consent of the governed” as it was composed at the highest level by a monarch, who was obviously not elected, and a Parliament in which America had no representation. Without the ability to vote for the highest level government officials, Americans were second class citizens of the British Empire without full “liberty” nor the ability to truly succeed in the “pursuit of happiness.” Therefore, we celebrate that the victory at Yorktown led to independence from a government that did not treat us like true citizens. However, we must also note that immediately after the Battle of Yorktown, our government also did not extend the values of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence to all. On the contrary, after the battle General Washington ordered his forces to round up fugitive slaves who fought with the British and “return them to their enslavers,” demonstrating how much more work we still had in recognizing “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” Image: https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/surrender-lord-cornwallis; For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (October 19, 1781).

Sources: https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/american-war-independence-outbreak; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Yorktown

Post 74:

October 27, 1962 marks the anniversary of “the most dangerous day of the Cuban Missile Crisis” and possibly the closest we ever came to all-out nuclear war. On this day, we honor and remember Major Rudolph Anderson who was killed while flying a mission over Cuba in a U2 plane to, in the words of the Secretary of Defense, “gain reconnaissance information on whether the Soviet missiles were becoming operational.” For his flights over Cuba, on top of many previous awards, he was awarded the Air Force Cross. “The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Air Force Cross (Posthumously) to Rudolf Anderson, Major, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Strategic Air Command (SAC), from 15 October 1962 to 27 October 1962. During this period of great national crisis, Major Anderson, flying an unescorted, unarmed aircraft, lost his life while participating in one of several aerial reconnaissance missions over Cuba. While executing these aerial missions, Major Anderson made photographs which provided the United States government with conclusive evidence of the introduction of long-range offensive missiles into Cuba and which materially assisted our leaders in charting the nation's military and diplomatic course. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Major Anderson reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.” “Anderson was not originally scheduled to fly on this day, but he lobbied hard for the assignment when the mission was added to the schedule. Mission 3127, Anderson’s sixth foray over Cuba as part of “Operation Brass Knob,” would be his most dangerous yet, with Soviet SA-2 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) now operational and war seemingly imminent.” Major Anderson was thirty-five and had a pregnant wife and two sons aged five and three years old. We honor Major Anderson and all members of the military who, during the Cold War, defended the values of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” “safety,” “future security,” and the Preamble to the Constitution including “common defense” and “liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (October 27, 1962). Images: https://www.foxcarolina.com/2022/10/27/upstate-air-force-pilot-killed-during-cuban-missile-crisis-honored-60-year-anniversary/ ; https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/dobbs/anderson.htm

Sources: https://www.jfklibrary.org/about-us/social-media-podcasts-and-apps/atomic-gambit/episode-4-black-saturday#:~:text=October%2027%2C%201962%2C%20also%20known,or%20risk%20a%20nuclear%20war. ; https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2021/june/black-saturday-declassified ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisis ; https://www.history.com/news/the-cuban-missile-crisis-pilot-whose-death-may-have-saved-millions

Shorter for Instagram:

October 27, 1962 “The most dangerous day of the Cuban Missile Crisis.” On this day, we honor & remember Major Rudolph Anderson who was killed while flying over Cuba in a U2 plane to, in the words of the Secretary of Defense, “gain reconnaissance information on whether the Soviet missiles were becoming operational.” For his flights over Cuba he was awarded the Air Force Cross. “The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Air Force Cross (Posthumously) to Rudolf Anderson, Major, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Strategic Air Command (SAC), from 15 October 1962 to 27 October 1962. During this period of great national crisis, Major Anderson, flying an unescorted, unarmed aircraft, lost his life while participating in one of several aerial reconnaissance missions over Cuba. While executing these aerial missions, Major Anderson made photographs which provided the United States government with conclusive evidence of the introduction of long-range offensive missiles into Cuba and which materially assisted our leaders in charting the nation's military and diplomatic course. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Major Anderson reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.” “Anderson was not originally scheduled to fly on this day, but he lobbied hard for the assignment…Mission 3127, Anderson’s sixth foray over Cuba…would be his most dangerous yet, with Soviet SA-2 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) now operational and war seemingly imminent.” Major Anderson was thirty-five & had a pregnant wife & two sons aged five & three years old. We honor Major Anderson & all members of the military who, during the Cold War, defended the values of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” “safety,” “future security,” & the Preamble to the Constitution including “common defense” and “liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (October 27, 1962).

Post 75 (partial update to post 15):

November 4, 1924 – On this day, Wyoming became the first state to elect a female governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross. A month earlier she had buried her husband who died during his term as governor and she was asked to run in a special election for his successor. She had to rebut questions that were raised about whether a woman could successfully serve as governor as can be seen in her statement in the Cheyenne Daily Leader newspaper the day before the election: “I am not unmindful of the great responsibility this office entails and, in the case of my election, while I should expect to avail myself of the counsel of all persons, without regard to party, having information and opinions in the questions placed before me, I shall expect and feel in duty bound to make my own decisions in every case, realizing that upon me alone would rest the responsibility. The fact of my being a woman would in no way alter my obligation to the people in this respect.” The residents of Wyoming handily elected her (giving new support to Wyoming’s title as the “Equality State” which was earned when it became the first state to grant women the right to vote in 1869). As Governor, Ross pushed policies such as assistance for farmers; protection for miners, women, and child laborers; more funding for education; and spending and tax cuts. In 1926, she was narrowly defeated in her reelection bid as the dominant Republican Party reasserted itself in Wyoming. Regardless, the nation had taken great notice of Ross as the first female governor and she was now famous and widely respected. In 1928, she became director of the Women’s Division of the National Democratic Committee helping to elect FDR as president. In 1933, FDR appointed her as the first female Director of the Bureau of the Mint, a position she held for twenty years. She had also become wealthy because of her wise investments and lived until 101 years old. In her life, by helping pave the road for women to serve in high level positions in state and federal government, Ross made our government better reflect and represent all of “We the People” (as stated in the Preamble to the Constitution) thereby bolstering the values of equality and “consent of the government” in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence. Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/Tpm6fakXxq1qzHWB9 ; For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (November 4, 1924)

Sources: https://www.nga.org/governor/nellie-tayloe-ross/ ; https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/ambition-nellie-tayloe-ross ; https://time.com/3555677/nellie-tayloe-ross/ ; https://wyostatearchives.wordpress.com/2014/11/05/this-day-in-wyoming-history-nellie-tayloe-ross-elected-governor-in-1924/ ; https://sos.wyo.gov/Services/StateInfo_Symbols.aspx#:~:text=Wyoming%20is%20known%20as%20the,retained%20upon%20entering%20the%20Union.

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November 4, 1924 – Wyoming became the first state to elect a female governor, Nellie Tayloe Ross. A month earlier she had buried her husband who died during his term as governor and she was asked to run in a special election for his successor. She had to rebut questions that were raised about whether a woman could successfully serve as governor as can be seen in her statement in the Cheyenne Daily Leader newspaper the day before the election: “I am not unmindful of the great responsibility this office entails and, in the case of my election, while I should expect to avail myself of the counsel of all persons, without regard to party, having information and opinions in the questions placed before me, I shall expect and feel in duty bound to make my own decisions in every case, realizing that upon me alone would rest the responsibility. The fact of my being a woman would in no way alter my obligation to the people in this respect.” The residents of Wyoming handily elected her (giving new support to Wyoming’s title as the “Equality State” which was earned when it became the first state to grant women the right to vote in 1869). In 1926, she was narrowly defeated in her reelection bid as the dominant Republican Party reasserted itself in Wyoming. Regardless, the nation had taken great notice of Ross as the first female governor and she was now famous and widely respected. In 1928, she became director of the Women’s Division of the National Democratic Committee helping to elect FDR as president. In 1933, FDR appointed her as the first female Director of the Bureau of the Mint, a position she held for twenty years. She had also become wealthy because of her wise investments and lived until 101 years old. In her life, by helping pave the road for women to serve in high level positions in state and federal government, Ross made our government better reflect and represent all of “We the People” (as stated in the Preamble to the Constitution) thereby bolstering the values of equality and “consent of the government” in the Preamble to the Dec. of Independence. Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/Tpm6fakXxq1qzHWB9 ; Sources at: www.preamblist.org/timeline (Nov 4, 1924)

Post 76 (update to post 16):

November 5, 1872- Susan B. Anthony voted in NY in a presidential election before women won the right to vote in New York and federal elections. She was arrested for "knowingly voting without having a lawful right to vote." At the trial, a poll worker testified: “. . . I made the remark that I didn’t think we could register her name. She asked me upon what grounds. I told her that the constitution of the State of New York only gave the right of franchise to male citizens. She asked me if I was acquainted with the 14th amendment to the constitution of the U.S. I told her I was.” When found guilty and fined, she said “I shall never pay a dollar of your unjust penalty." Anthony’s vote was an inspiration to women fighting for the vote. Over 40 years later, women win the right to vote, a major leap in achieving the values of "We the People" in the preamble to the Constitution and "consent of the governed" and equality in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. Anthony’s vote is still an inspiration today as evidenced by women visiting her grave on election day in 2016, 2020, and already in 2024. Image: https://www.voanews.com/a/susan-anthony-women-rights-suffrage-rochester/3587483.html ; For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (November 5, 1872)

Post 77:

November 10, 1775- US Marine Corps Official Birthday- On this day, the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Marines with a decree stating: “That two battalions of Marines be raised consisting of one Colonel, two lieutenant-colonels, two majors and other officers, as usual in other regiments; that they consist of an equal number of privates as with other battalions, that particular care be taken that no persons be appointed to offices, or enlisted into said battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve for and during the present war with Great Britain and the Colonies; unless dismissed by Congress; that they be distinguished by the names of the First and Second Battalions of Marines.” Therefore, November 10th is celebrated as the official birthday of the US Marine Corps. Each November 10, at dawn, a group of Marines puts a wreath on the grave of Samuel Nicholas (nominated by John Adams to be the first officer commissioned in the Marines) who successfully recruited ~300 more Marines by December. Additionally on November 10, 1954 the Marines Corps War Memorial with the Iwo Jima statue was dedicated with a plaque stating, “In honor and in memory of the men of the United States Marine Corps who have given their lives to their country since November 10, 1775.” Furthermore, on November 10, 2006 the current National Museum of the Marine Corps museum was dedicated in a ceremony during which President G.W. Bush stated, “The history of the Corps is now being written by a new generation of Marines…Like the Marines who have come before them, this new generation has also given some of its finest men in the line of duty. One of these fine men was Jason Dunham. Jason's birthday is November the 10th, so you might say that he was born to be a Marine…in April 2004, while leading a patrol of his Marines in an Iraqi town near the Syrian border. . .an enemy grenade rolled out. Corporal Dunham did not hesitate; he jumped on the grenade to protect his fellow Marines, he used his helmet and his body to absorb the blast…Corporal Dunham ultimately succumbed to his wounds. And by giving his own life, Corporal Dunham saved the lives of two of his men and showed the world what it means to be a Marine…And on this special birthday, in the company of his fellow Marines, I'm proud to announce that our nation will recognize Corporal Jason Dunham's action with America's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor. As long as we have Marines like Corporal Dunham, America will never fear for her liberty…” Liberty, a value that thousands of Marines have fought for, is stated in both the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution. Other values stated in these preambles that Marines have also fought for include “safety,” “future security,” “common defense,” and “domestic tranquility.” Currently are over 180,000 active Marines and we honor and thank them and all veterans for their service. Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/computerguy_wiki/3778968181; For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (November 10, 1775)

Sources: https://www.marines.com/about-the-marine-corps/who-are-the-marines/history.html; https://www.usmcu.edu/Research/Marine-Corps-History-Division/Brief-Histories/Brief-History-of-the-United-States-Marine-Corps/; https://www.usmcu.edu/Research/Marine-Corps-History-Division/Frequently-https://www.usmcu.edu/Research/Marine-Corps-History-Division/Frequently-Requested-Topics/Marine-Corps-War-Memorial/#:~:text=Nimitz%20to%20the%20fighting%20men,since%20November%2010%2C%201775.%22; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps_birthday; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Nicholas; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps; https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2006/11/20061110-3.html

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November 10, 1775- US Marine Corps Official Birthday- On this day, the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Marines with a decree stating: “That two battalions of Marines be raised…” Therefore, November 10th is celebrated as the official birthday of the US Marine Corps. Each November 10, at dawn, a group of Marines puts a wreath on the grave of Samuel Nicholas (nominated by John Adams to be the first officer commissioned in the Marines) who successfully recruited ~300 more Marines by December. Additionally on November 10, 1954 the Marines Corps War Memorial with the Iwo Jima statue was dedicated with a plaque stating, “In honor and in memory of the men of the United States Marine Corps who have given their lives to their country since November 10, 1775.” Furthermore, on November 10, 2006 the current National Museum of the Marine Corps museum was dedicated in a ceremony during which President G.W. Bush stated, “The history of the Corps is now being written by a new generation of Marines…Like the Marines who have come before them, this new generation has also given some of its finest men in the line of duty. One of these fine men was Jason Dunham. Jason's birthday is November the 10th, so you might say that he was born to be a Marine…in April 2004, while leading a patrol of his Marines in an Iraqi town near the Syrian border. . .an enemy grenade rolled out. Corporal Dunham did not hesitate; he jumped on the grenade to protect his fellow Marines, he used his helmet and his body to absorb the blast…Corporal Dunham ultimately succumbed to his wounds. And by giving his own life, Corporal Dunham saved the lives of two of his men and showed the world what it means to be a Marine…And on this special birthday, in the company of his fellow Marines, I'm proud to announce that our nation will recognize Corporal Jason Dunham's action with America's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor. As long as we have Marines like Corporal Dunham, America will never fear for her liberty…” Liberty, a value that thousands of Marines have fought for, is stated in both the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution. Other values stated in these preambles that Marines have also fought for include “safety,” “future security,” “common defense,” and “domestic tranquility.” Currently are over 180,000 active Marines and we honor and thank them and all veterans for their service. Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/computerguy_wiki/3778968181; For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (November 10, 1775)

Shorter for Instagram

November 10, 1775- The Second Continental Congress established the Continental Marines with a decree stating: “That two battalions of Marines be raised…” Therefore, November 10th is celebrated as the official birthday of the US Marine Corps. Each November 10, Marines put a wreath on the grave of Samuel Nicholas (its first commissioned officer) who successfully recruited ~300 more Marines by December. Additionally on November 10, 1954 the Marines Corps War Memorial was dedicated. Furthermore, on November 10, 2006 the current National Museum of the Marine Corps museum was dedicated in a ceremony during which President G.W. Bush stated, “The history of the Corps is now being written by a new generation of Marines…Like the Marines who have come before them, this new generation has also given some of its finest men in the line of duty. One of these fine men was Jason Dunham. Jason's birthday is November the 10th, so you might say that he was born to be a Marine…in April 2004, while leading a patrol of his Marines in an Iraqi town near the Syrian border. . .an enemy grenade rolled out. Corporal Dunham did not hesitate; he jumped on the grenade to protect his fellow Marines, he used his helmet and his body to absorb the blast…Corporal Dunham ultimately succumbed to his wounds. And by giving his own life, Corporal Dunham saved the lives of two of his men and showed the world what it means to be a Marine…And on this special birthday, in the company of his fellow Marines, I'm proud to announce that our nation will recognize Corporal Jason Dunham's action with America's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor. As long as we have Marines like Corporal Dunham, America will never fear for her liberty…” Liberty, a value that thousands of Marines have fought for, is stated in both the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution. Other values stated in these preambles that Marines have also fought for include “safety,” “future security,” “common defense,” and “domestic tranquility.” We honor and thank the Marines. Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/computerguy_wiki/3778968181; Sources: www.preamblist.org/timeline November 10, 1775

Shorter for Threads

November 10, 1775- The Second Continental Congress established the Continental Marines with a decree stating: “That two battalions of Marines be raised…” Therefore, November 10th is celebrated as the official birthday of the US Marine Corps. We honor and thank the Marines. Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/computerguy_wiki/3778968181; Sources: www.preamblist.org/timeline (November 10, 1775)