Without the right to freedom of thought, there is no freedom of speech, or anything else.
We decided awhile back, that free speech was a necessity, and anything that hindered it, must be eliminated, so that the sunshine of truth can be heard. People need to remember that.
Wonderful words. I also appreciate the sentiment that words that were not fully appreciated decades ago, take on their full mean with the passage of time. Love this.
A common notion about America's fractious society is that we should have more political parties, like other democratic republics. But that is an illusory benefit; often the common denominator policies on which a plurality can agree are vague and disconnected from real pragmatic strategies. Often people end up with unpopular govt because, not in spite of, the multitude of issues that different parties choose to focus on. Perhaps a more useful idea is to be more willing to confront inherent economic tradeoffs in trying to solve any persistent problem, and being more willing to acknowledge political gamesmanship in one's own tribe. Also very challenging! But, as some libertarian politician once said, a govt that's big enough to give you everything you need is also big enough to take everything you own.
We have been purposely and effectively divided for political and monetary gain. Although most people want the exact same things, we are pitched against each other by every means imaginable. We can’t just all get along anytime soon. No one likes to admit they were wrong about anything. They would prefer to live a lie than be uncomfortable.
Thanks and congratulations to Yuval for an excellent and incisive essay. I'm proud to regard him as a fellow American and hope that his understanding of our our constitutional construction can be grasped by all the people within our borders.
It's a great reminder to me to go back and read those documents. The last time I read them was in 5th grade and didn't have the comprehension nor the appreciation for the content of those documents. Yuval gives me the motivation to look them up and re-read them.
i clicked on it but couldn't get past the main page where its "fix" was to Change the Senate. The Senate was set up purposefully to prevent like-minded population centers from dictating what is best for the country. Additionally, the commentary provides no specific fix. It just complains about why California cannot speak for the entire country.
Perhaps, but it was with this understanding of representation that states applied for membership in the Union. Would small states like Alaska or Hawaii subject themselves to the whims of the Continental 48 with the knowledge that at some point they would simply be nullified by LA or Houston? That same question could be applied 237 years ago to New Hampshire versus Virginia or Rhode Island to New York.
a fantastic essay! It is "we", it is "Out of Many One". It is being an American first. It is about becoming a citizen of a new home country in ALL ways. THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO AN OBJECT LESSON IN HOW TO BE A GOOD GUEST IN AMERICA. Whether you are a guest or a citizen, "you" (or "they") don't just get to pick & choose to take advantage of economic opportunities, free speech, freedom of religion or particular freedoms and ignore everything else. "You: (and I might add, "we") also need to understand that the Rights that "we" extend to all are not absolute, "you" cannot do whatever "you choose", wherever "you choose", whenever "you choose". It is not a government for "me", it is a republic for "We, the people". By entering this country, you enter into a social contract/compact that in return for America's protections and opportunities, you will respect American Western Judeo-Christian based culture, laws, and society. If and when you become an American citizen, you become American first and foremost, you must assimilate and integrate into our society and abide by all our laws first . You must uphold and abide by your half of the social compact/contract and "absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic". You must find a way to conduct your life while accommodating and adjusting to us, not us to accommodate and adjusting for you. Every nation on the globe, Western or not , expects and requires this of both citizens and guests. "We" (America) should expect and require nothing less. In fact, we should expect and require this.
To those guests who do not wish to make this country their home, but merely want to be guests, however long or short your stay, - If you do not wish to be a good guest in my home, do not come to my home, do not stay in my home. Find a hotel somewhere else that suits you better. (Never ever did I ever think that I would hear myself speaking like this)!
The downfall of the United States began with the Celler-Kennedy Immigration Act of 1965 and the polarization of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War.
What scares me is that too many people, especially youth, don't know much about the Constitution and couldn't tell you what the first person plural means. We used to memorize the pledge of allegiance and the preamble to the Constitution. I'd guess that would be rare today, when too many schools turn out graduates who are illiterate, innumerate and know little about history or civics. We can be better and survive only with an educated populace. Adding millions of illegal immigrants doesn't help the general level of knowledge. Legal immigrants like Mr. Levine are much more likely to take American history and education seriously, and are often more knowledgeable than we native Americans.
Thank you for reminding me about the "We". It occurred to me that it would be a good idea to require every high school student to take the citizenship class and test before being allowed to vote. In fact, we all would probably benefit from the class.
Thank you for this insightful and hopeful article. I did not know that it was Constitution Day, but glad I know now. I am also glad and grateful to Schoolhouse Rock that I know each word of the pre-amble to the Constitution. It is even better set to song.
Without the right to freedom of thought, there is no freedom of speech, or anything else.
We decided awhile back, that free speech was a necessity, and anything that hindered it, must be eliminated, so that the sunshine of truth can be heard. People need to remember that.
Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. The words we need to hear these days. Thank you.
Wonderful words. I also appreciate the sentiment that words that were not fully appreciated decades ago, take on their full mean with the passage of time. Love this.
Brilliant.
A common notion about America's fractious society is that we should have more political parties, like other democratic republics. But that is an illusory benefit; often the common denominator policies on which a plurality can agree are vague and disconnected from real pragmatic strategies. Often people end up with unpopular govt because, not in spite of, the multitude of issues that different parties choose to focus on. Perhaps a more useful idea is to be more willing to confront inherent economic tradeoffs in trying to solve any persistent problem, and being more willing to acknowledge political gamesmanship in one's own tribe. Also very challenging! But, as some libertarian politician once said, a govt that's big enough to give you everything you need is also big enough to take everything you own.
We have been purposely and effectively divided for political and monetary gain. Although most people want the exact same things, we are pitched against each other by every means imaginable. We can’t just all get along anytime soon. No one likes to admit they were wrong about anything. They would prefer to live a lie than be uncomfortable.
Hannah Nicole Jones is a misrepresentation of the American experiment and deserves no credit for her lazy and misinformed views.
Very uplifting, this call back to our governing document and the ties that bind us is refreshing.
Thanks and congratulations to Yuval for an excellent and incisive essay. I'm proud to regard him as a fellow American and hope that his understanding of our our constitutional construction can be grasped by all the people within our borders.
It's a great reminder to me to go back and read those documents. The last time I read them was in 5th grade and didn't have the comprehension nor the appreciation for the content of those documents. Yuval gives me the motivation to look them up and re-read them.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/series/fix-the-constitution/
i clicked on it but couldn't get past the main page where its "fix" was to Change the Senate. The Senate was set up purposefully to prevent like-minded population centers from dictating what is best for the country. Additionally, the commentary provides no specific fix. It just complains about why California cannot speak for the entire country.
This is an excellent piece.
Agree with the distinction btw “democracy” and “representative government”.
However, the way the electoral college and senate are construed means that some people are “over”-represented, and others are “under”-represented.
And the “over” and “under”, very roughly and generally speaking, tracks along “rural” and “urban” as well as how populous each specific state is.
Perhaps, but it was with this understanding of representation that states applied for membership in the Union. Would small states like Alaska or Hawaii subject themselves to the whims of the Continental 48 with the knowledge that at some point they would simply be nullified by LA or Houston? That same question could be applied 237 years ago to New Hampshire versus Virginia or Rhode Island to New York.
There’s no debate that it is what it is. But let’s not pretend it has anything to do with fairness.
It's called the Tyranny of the mob , in Constitutional terms .
a fantastic essay! It is "we", it is "Out of Many One". It is being an American first. It is about becoming a citizen of a new home country in ALL ways. THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO AN OBJECT LESSON IN HOW TO BE A GOOD GUEST IN AMERICA. Whether you are a guest or a citizen, "you" (or "they") don't just get to pick & choose to take advantage of economic opportunities, free speech, freedom of religion or particular freedoms and ignore everything else. "You: (and I might add, "we") also need to understand that the Rights that "we" extend to all are not absolute, "you" cannot do whatever "you choose", wherever "you choose", whenever "you choose". It is not a government for "me", it is a republic for "We, the people". By entering this country, you enter into a social contract/compact that in return for America's protections and opportunities, you will respect American Western Judeo-Christian based culture, laws, and society. If and when you become an American citizen, you become American first and foremost, you must assimilate and integrate into our society and abide by all our laws first . You must uphold and abide by your half of the social compact/contract and "absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic". You must find a way to conduct your life while accommodating and adjusting to us, not us to accommodate and adjusting for you. Every nation on the globe, Western or not , expects and requires this of both citizens and guests. "We" (America) should expect and require nothing less. In fact, we should expect and require this.
To those guests who do not wish to make this country their home, but merely want to be guests, however long or short your stay, - If you do not wish to be a good guest in my home, do not come to my home, do not stay in my home. Find a hotel somewhere else that suits you better. (Never ever did I ever think that I would hear myself speaking like this)!
The downfall of the United States began with the Celler-Kennedy Immigration Act of 1965 and the polarization of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War.
What scares me is that too many people, especially youth, don't know much about the Constitution and couldn't tell you what the first person plural means. We used to memorize the pledge of allegiance and the preamble to the Constitution. I'd guess that would be rare today, when too many schools turn out graduates who are illiterate, innumerate and know little about history or civics. We can be better and survive only with an educated populace. Adding millions of illegal immigrants doesn't help the general level of knowledge. Legal immigrants like Mr. Levine are much more likely to take American history and education seriously, and are often more knowledgeable than we native Americans.
"Out of many, One" defines us as a "plurality", not as "multicultural" individual groups having separate but parallel lives.
History is being rewritten & uploaded & Harvard’s got this whole parallel effort going on:
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/series/fix-the-constitution/
Thank you for reminding me about the "We". It occurred to me that it would be a good idea to require every high school student to take the citizenship class and test before being allowed to vote. In fact, we all would probably benefit from the class.
Thank you for this insightful and hopeful article. I did not know that it was Constitution Day, but glad I know now. I am also glad and grateful to Schoolhouse Rock that I know each word of the pre-amble to the Constitution. It is even better set to song.