Ch. 47 Secure the Blessings of Liberty to Ourselves and Our Posterity

"Ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation to the prejudice and oppression of another is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy…An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges, and advantages, is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy.” - Benjamin Franklin

The Preamble to the United States Constitution makes a powerful commitment to "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity." This pledge transcends time, binding generations together in a common pursuit of freedom. Today, however, we find ourselves confronting a difficult question... are we honoring this foundational promise?

The Historical Foundation

The American Revolution emerged from a fundamental struggle for liberty. Colonists rebelled against British rule because they were subjected to taxation without representation, a violation of what they considered their inherent rights. They envisioned creating not just a temporary solution to their immediate problems, but establishing a lasting framework that would protect freedom for generations to come.

The founders dedicated themselves to building governmental structures that would safeguard individual liberties against tyranny. They understood that their work wasn't merely for their own benefit, but for all who would inherit the nation they were creating. (With the added caveat that for the founders, "all" mostly referred to white, male, Christian land-owners.) 

What Happened to that Promise?

Americans today undeniably enjoy certain freedoms. We can express opinions without government censorship, participate in democratic processes, and generally access basic necessities. But we must recognize that the blessings of liberty extend beyond mere survival.

In contemporary America, two critical failures threaten our constitutional promise:

Economic Liberty Has Been Undermined

Our economic system has increasingly prioritized profit maximization over human well-being.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, middle-class incomes have declined significantly since 2007, with the average middle-class household earning $17,867 less annually than before the financial crisis. This stagnation creates economic insecurity that fundamentally limits freedom.

When citizens are trapped in a multi-generational cycle of poverty, caused by unaffordable education => decreased job opportunities => lowered socioeconomic status (rinse/repeat) they cannot meaningfully exercise the liberties our Constitution promises. Bare economic survival consumes the time and energy that true freedom requires.

Environmental Betrayal

Liberty depends on access to clean air, fresh water, and a sustainable environment. 

Yet our current economic models have accelerated environmental degradation at an alarming rate, compromising these essential resources. Climate change, pollution, and ecosystem destruction aren't merely environmental concerns, they represent direct threats to liberty and even life itself.

This environmental crisis reveals a profound intergenerational injustice. By depleting natural resources and destabilizing the climate for short-term economic gain, we are systematically depriving future generations of the environmental conditions necessary for their freedom and well-being.

Our Responsibility as Stewards

As the current custodians of our democratic experiment, we face a moral reckoning. 

We cannot claim to value our children and families while simultaneously making decisions that compromise their future. Our actions reveal our true priorities more clearly than our rhetoric.

The rising generation understands this contradiction. Young people increasingly view climate inaction, economic inequality, and political dysfunction as betrayals of the promise that should be their birthright. And they are not wrong.

Reclaiming Our Constitutional Promise

Securing liberty for ourselves and our posterity requires a fundamental reconsideration of our economic and environmental policies:

1. We must develop collaborative economic models that measure success by human well-being rather than merely by profit and growth metrics.

2. Environmental protection and the reversal of climate change must be recognized not as an optional luxury or a nice idea, but as essential infrastructure for life and liberty itself.

3. We need to rebuild and repurpose our civic institutions to prioritize long-term collective needs over immediate interests.

4. Political divisions must be subordinate to the shared goal of intergenerational justice and well-being.

An Urgent Call to Action

The constitutional promise to "secure the Blessings of Liberty" was never meant to be passive. 

The word "secure" implies active protection. A continuous effort to defend freedom against threats both external and internal.

Today, this requires confronting uncomfortable truths about our economic and environmental practices. It means acknowledging that liberty cannot be secured through individual effort alone, but requires collective commitment to systems that sustain freedom across generations.

The founders entrusted us with continuing this work. Our response to today's challenges will determine whether we pass on expanded liberty to future Americans, or leave them a diminished inheritance.

What will your contribution be to securing liberty not just for today, but for generations yet unborn? Your daily actions contribute to one future or the other.