Ensure Domestic Tranquility

In Barak Obama’s most recent speech, entitled “A More Perfect Union,” America’s clear choice for change in presidential election stepped up to the oratory plate and knocked it out of the park. Perhaps it was inevitable that the nation’s attention was diverted from political issues to focusing on our lifelong struggle with the issue of race relations, during the current presidential campaign. The greatest facade of all, in America, is the face we try to put on the residual damages and injuries our citizens bear resulting from our long history of African slavery. However, slavery is not the only wound that we regularly dress in our society of neighbors. The Trail of Tears still stings the hearts of Native Americans. Being ostracized as new immigrants still lingers in the hearts of Irish, Italian and Jewish Americans. Being forced into World War II concentration camps still resonates in the hearts of Japanese Americans. And, those are only a few of the loyal, patriotic American communities that have been hurt and still hold some anger for the country that they love. But even those who solely claim to belong the cultural heritage called, “American” can lash out in anger, as did two, named Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, when they were arrested for bombing the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1995.

Senator Obama’s speech of March 18, 2008 echoed the words of the Preamble of the United States Constitution, “We the people, in order to form a more perfect union …” and he went on to shine a light on the many ways that a loyal, patriotic, former U.S. Marine and his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, could voice such a statement as “God, damn America …” from the pulpit and it not result in Senator Obama storming away from the church and disavowing any relationship between himself and the renowned preacher and theologian. If Senator Obama did not make it clear enough in his speech, allow me to restate the point I believe that he made. In spite of the multitude of sins perpetrated by our beloved country, starting with the sin of slavery, and the way that it might often be expressed in fiery orations (in barbershops, around kitchen tables and even in pulpits) we are a stronger nation because we are free to love those neighbors who are free to speak their minds and we are free to love our country even when we disagree, or are even injured, by her.

Therefore, when those wealthy American corporate moguls are asked to keep jobs in our country for American working families and to accept a fair distribution of all of our tax burden, they might be angry and feel injured when they lose a few percentages from their healthy profit margins. However, I hope they will still love America. And, when healthcare and pharmaceutical companies are asked to adjust their business practices in a way that affords the worlds best health coverage to all Americans, an not just those who are blessed with jobs good enough to provide it, they might not be able to offset the discount on the drugs and medical technology that they provide to the rest of the world by charging our citizens much higher prices. Nonetheless, I hope that they will still love America. Also, when the few major companies that make outrageous profits on America’s dependence on petroleum, coal and radioactive isotopes to feed her unyielding energy needs are asked to build a new economy based on “green” or ecologically responsible and abundantly replenishable sources of energy, they may be injured by having to completely recreate their core business strategies and infrastructure by curtailing executive salary increases for a short period of time. Yet, I hope that they will still love America.

I could go on and on and touch on America’s public school systems or the military-industrial complex or the failing U.S. monetary policy or the special interest lobbyist’s influence over government officials. As a pastor, I might even touch on organized religions failure in providing for relevancy in the spirituality in the lives of today’s generation of America’s youths and young families. The bottom line is that America may stand united, but as we strive to build a more perfect union, we could be more successful in achieving our constitutional goal of insuring “domestic tranquility.”

When, in this year’s presidential campaign, one considers which candidate has the social location, professional experience and popular support to help us to build a nation that represents a “more perfect union” described in the U.S. Constitution, the speech of March 18, 2008 sets Senator Barak Obama head and shoulders about the other presidential candidates. Indeed, the entire constitutional laundry list of what “we, the people” have set as national goals by establishing this democratic republic that we love would be better served by electing Senator Obama as the 44th President of the United States. That list includes, “establishing justice, insuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare and promote the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our prosperity.” Can we, the people of the United States of America, work together to achieve these national goals better under the presidential leadership of Barak Obama than we could under those of his campaign competitors, Senators Clinton and McClain? Yes, we can!