The Constitutional Purpose

(ed. note: as a matter of practice, the Madison Conservative blog does not single out individuals for any type of ad hominum attacks on any level.  The comments made by Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., (D), Illinois, in early March of 2011 on the House floor that are included here are solely for the purpose of establishing the foundation of the discussion point for this blog.)

The following transcription of comments made by Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is provided courtesy of C-SPAN.

JESSE JACKSON JR.: “Mr. Speaker, I believe that the answer to long-term unemployment is actually in the Constitution of the United States. Well, let me say that a little differently. It’s not in the Constitution of the United States. It should be in the Constitution of the United States, and one of these days we’re going to get there. We need to add to the Constitution the right to a family to have a decent home. What would that do for home construction in this nation? What would that do for millions of unemployed people? He says we need to add to the Constitution the right to medical care. How many doctors would such a right create? He says we need to add to the Constitution of the United States the right to a decent education for every American. How many schools would such a right build from Maine to California? How many people would be put to work building roofs and designing classrooms and providing every student with an iPod and a laptop? How many ghettos and barrios will actually be touched by such an amendment? In fact, very little that we pass in the Congress of the United States even touches the long-term unemployed. Only thing that touches them that this Congress has access to that can actually change their station in life, is the Constitution of the United States. Mr. Speaker, there’s an even greater America that’s in front of us. It’s the America that adds to our founding document these basic rights.”

Herein lays a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of the United States Constitution. The Constitution was established to provide restrictions of the government upon the people. It is not intended to be a list of what the government is to bestow the people; it is intended to inhibit the power of government so that a free society can grow and thrive to the extent of its desires. If we were to follow the line of thought started by Congressman Jackson, the only result would be a socialist state: the government would be the provider of all the needs of its citizenry. The framers and the founders were all to familiar with all manner of despotic rulers and their effects upon their people. The model of democratic self rule was a unique concept, and they wrote the Constitution not a guarantee of government entitlements, but rather as a guarantee that government would not be able to restrict the freedom of this nation.

There are no ‘rights’ entrusted to the government, only responsibilities. The ‘rights’ guaranteed are but to the people of the United States.

The preamble of the Constitution is written the way it is for a reason; we should never lose sight of that fact.

“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.”