What the Constitution Means to Me

In the weeks following Trump's election, Evan McMullin, in an interview with Trevor Noah on The Daily Show, suggested that the Left and the Right (the part of the Right that cares about the Constitution) should unite and articulate what the Constitution means to them.

The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence (and, by extension, France's Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, though it isn't ours) articulate a vision for a society under a government that is responsible both to and for its people. It is my personal understanding that the founding documents have transcended the limitations of their authors, and are, by necessity, through advancing technology and demographic shifts, expanded to include, instead of just "all men are created equal" to "all human beings are created equal."

This is extremely important because we cannot have a society that is so proud of itself for being a model for a free and democratic republic that is at the same time is actively--or even passively--oppressing certain groups within its population. It cannot be more necessary to, in order to believe authentically and assert on the world stage that the United States is an ideal democracy, treat every citizen--regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, or any other yet unknown identifier--with dignity and respect under the law.

I further believe that the Preamble of the Constitution gives the government the responsibility to advocate for the good of the people and their resources. The government thus has a responsibility to ensure that people have access to healthcare, that natural resources are protected, that citizens receive adequate education, that citizens are being treated fairly in their work, and that citizens who cannot work or take care of themselves are properly looked after. The government also has a responsibility to regulate and safeguard the economy to minimize calamity caused by financial malfeasance, and to protect citizens from the oppression of monopolies.

The United States government is intended to be a government By the People and For the People, and therefore is a direct reflection of our values and our community. We have decided as a country that it is important to have clean air and water; that it is important to receive a decent education; that it is important that those much less fortunate than us are not subjected to squalor and debasement; that we have fair choice of commodities; that our economy should be stable, with opportunity for all citizens; and that all citizens are entitled to affordable healthcare.  Additionally, it is important that our government behaves rationally and consistently in safeguarding our resources for future generations, and reacts appropriately to developments in science and technology.

Our rights come not from God or even the government itself; the government cannot revoke our rights because the government did not grant those rights. Our rights come to us through the very fact of our humanity: We have rights solely by virtue of the fact that we are human beings; these rights depend neither on God nor government. Our rights exist a priori, and no one--neither Donald Trump nor anyone else--can take them away from us.