“Governments
are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the
governed.”
The
Declaration of Independence used these words to legitimize our founding as a
nation. Fifteen simple words, but they embodied a world-shattering idea. Kings
supposedly derived their authority from God, but the Declaration declared that
“all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.” These subversive words flipped the divine right of kings on its
head. Instead of kings, God endowed all of mankind with natural rights.
Words can be
powerful.
That is,
unless they’re ignored. The Constitution is the “supreme law of the land,” but
many don’t accept that enumerated powers limit government action. Elected
officials “solemnly swear … to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of
the United States,” but many view the words as cant uttered during a
swearing-in ritual. Lesser laws are based on a reasonable man’s interpretation
of the language, but many regard the “supreme law of the land” as a living
document that can mean whatever we need it to mean on any particular day.
