Our US Constitution and American Exceptionalism

On this day, in 1787, our U.S. Constitution was created and was ratified on March 4, 1789, forming the United States of America into a Constitutional Republic. And, what they formed is unlike anything before or after.

Our Founders knew what they were doing. They had studied history. After a long and grueling War for Independence, they met once again in Philadelphia and debated and argued about what would be the correct course of action for a new country...one founded on the principle of freedom.

We need to thank the Anti-Federalists for much of our freedom. Had it not been for people like Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, George Mason, Mercy Otis Warren, James Monroe, John Hancock and others, there would be no Bill of Rights.

And, as Henry and the others following his lead argued, without a Bill of Rights, individual and even state rights are not protected.

It then came to pass that on September 25, 1787, the Bill of Rights, modeled after Mason's Virginia Bill of Rights, was created and became ratified on December 15, 1791.

With the Bill of Rights in place, America was set up to become quite exceptional.

The terminology of America being exceptional, and thus American Exceptionalism, can be traced to French diplomat and political historian Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) who described our country as “exceptional” based on our founding principles of freedom and liberty, rugged individualism and free enterprise.

While there are some who may scoff at the idea of American Exceptionalism, those are, more than likely, people who feel that America has never been great, has not been the best nation on Earth. To those, all that can be said, is move to that country you feel is better for We the People KNOW there is no other country offering the freedom, the liberty that we know and love.

Yes, during the short period of the 2020's this has been tested more than perhaps any other time in our history. Yet. We the People shall prevail. It is in our DNA. We are freedom lovers. And, we take responsibility for our actions.

Jefferson, principal author of our Declaration of Independence and 3rd president, warned us long ago about the times we have been facing. He said, “Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms, those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.”

The Father of our U.S. Constitution and 4th president, James Madison, concurred. He stated, “Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations.”

Our Founders were wise beyond their time. They knew. They admonished us.

During these trying times, when federal and state and even local mandates are thrown around ad nauseam, there are those elected officials who are fighting back. Numerous state governors have put Biden and Capitol Hill on notice.

"We will not comply."

Why? The governors who reject federal mandates, lock-downs and the like are following the 10th Amendment. Congress has no authority to mandate, nor does the president. To that some say, but the 1905 SCOTUS decision says they can. Sorry, no it does not. Read the decision. Or, just read our blog article about it.

Remember, on September 17, 1787, our U.S. Constitution was created. What that means is that the states created the federal government.

Read the preamble: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

There it states why the federal government was formed. As Madison says (again, he was the person who wrote it), the primary duties are principally external, "...war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce.”

And then read Article I Section 8. Those are the ONLY Constitutional powers and duties of Congress, which crossed over the line decades ago. Anything and everything done not listed there is, essentially, unconstitutional and a violation of their Oath of Office.

Echoing that is Sons of Liberty Founder and a leader of the Boston Tea Party, Samuel Adams, who stated, “The Legislative has no right to absolute, arbitrary power over the lives and fortunes of the people.”

Will we survive the current dictatorship style now in vogue in DC and some states? Yes!

The Founder of the Federalist Party, Alexander Hamilton, was quite brief describing such a time as we are experiencing, “If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no recourse left but in the exertion of that original right of self-defense which is paramount to all positive forms of government.”

Think about it. What other country anywhere has Founding Documents and Founders who put in place safeguards for the freedom, liberty and rights of We the People. None. Never been done.

American Exceptionalism exists. American Exceptionalism lives.

The way to keep this in place - and growing - is primarily through education. While many other Founders stated similar sentiments, 2nd president John Adams summed it up nicely in two short quotes, “Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people,” and “Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.”

Principles of Freedom. Not socialist indoctrination. Not critical race theory. Not revisionist history. Not what sex do you want to be. Etc. Etc.

Then, We the People must ensure that our elected representatives follow their Oath of Office. That means We the People must be vocal and be seen. We must ensure that our Constitution is adhered to and followed.