Anyone who knows me knows that I am a rule-follower. From kindergarten on, life has been filled with rules. From Sunday School, through two years of civics (thanks to changing schools), and then every school, job, residence, and state where I’ve lived has had many rules. Some are just rules, while others are laws. Adherence to rules and laws are what keep us civilized and, frankly, are what distinguish us from animals.
Going back to the civics class we all took (at least once), here are some of the things we were taught.
• The American people have rights, both those that are in the Bill of Rights, and others that evolve over time. These rights do not belong to one party over another, and they do not apply only to exclusive groups of citizens; they apply to all of us, thanks to the hard work of those who came before us.
• The government has certain powers, but there is a distinct separation of powers, and a structure of checks and balances on those powers. All three branches of government have a role regarding law, and each role keeps the other two branches from taking on too much power. Simply put, Congress (the legislative branch) makes our laws, the President (executive branch) enforces the laws that exist, and the courts (judicial branch) interpret the laws – with the Supreme Court having the final say. Our Founding Fathers set up our government this way in order to ensure that we remain democratic (representative of the people and their wishes and needs), and to prevent tyranny (preventing any one branch from becoming too powerful). This has worked for us for nearly 250 years.
• There are designated levers of change that include lawmaking, Constitutional amendments, and the courts. Our government is not designed as a free-for-all, but it also is not meant to remain an unchangeable stone block. Our forefathers saw to the need to adapt our laws as needed, through prescribed means. (Newsflash: An Executive Order does not create a new law; not now, not ever.)
• As U.S. citizens, we each have a place in U.S. society, and we have civic responsibilities to participate in that society (specifically to vote, and to follow the rules and laws).
• How voting works also is an integral part of civics education. Political parties, electoral college, voting rights, and voting systems.
• Media literacy is an important part of contemporary civics education: how to research and recognize misinformation, and the history and importance of a free press in a democracy.
Of course, at its best civics education is not limited to the eighth grade. Students should learn (and internalize) about our system of government, and the role that each of us plays in it. And adults should be reminded of how our system works, how it can only succeed when the rules and roles are followed, and when we as citizens take part in it. We elect Senators and Representatives to carry our voices into the halls of Congress, as they make laws and determine how our money will be spent. A President is elected to represent us as well, to act for us in enforcing existing laws. And judges are appointed, without political party strings, to interpret those laws.
Oath to uphold the Constitution
Everyone taking a state or federal job, or serving in the U.S. military, takes an oath upon taking office: an oath to uphold the Constitution and to protect the U.S. from external and internal enemies. Here is the oath taken by every single member of the U.S. Senate; other such oaths are -similar:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
Are there exceptions for the super-rich? No. For people who don’t believe in God? Nope. For people who say the Constitution is old-fashioned and no longer valid? NOPE. For those who maybe didn’t touch the Bible while they took the oath? Definitely not. The Oath applies to everyone who takes it. It is a very serious commitment.
And yet we find ourselves today with so many outright flouting the Constitution, and too many members of Congress ignoring their commitments to uphold it.
Contacts:
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
(202) 224-3244
U.S. Senator Tina Smith
(202) 224-5641
U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach (202) 225-2165
U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer
(202) 225-2331
U.S. Capitol Switchboard
(202) 224-3121