The framers of the Constitution couldn’t have imagined what massacre yesterday in a Uvalde school or last week in Buffalo or last year or last century in too many places to name. We know this because they didn’t plan for many things that are now central to who we are as a nation.
They didn’t foresee the end of slavery.
They didn’t plan for women or the descendants of slaves to vote.
However, they likely expected that as their nation evolved out of its infancy, the duly elected leaders would meet the needs of each new challenging moment.
They expected that decency would triumph tradition.
They expected that reasonable disagreement would end in mutually beneficial resolution.
They expected that the “self evident” truth of our common humanity would be the basic foundation of all that we do and become as Americans.
They didn’t envision this ongoing nightmare of mass shootings in schools, churches, theaters, concerts and grocery stores, to name a few. They couldn’t have.
Yet, we are called to act on what they did envision: the will - and the ability- to rise up to do what is right by each other and by this nation.
They didn’t foresee the end of slavery.
They didn’t plan for women or the descendants of slaves to vote.
However, they likely expected that as their nation evolved out of its infancy, the duly elected leaders would meet the needs of each new challenging moment.
They expected that decency would triumph tradition.
They expected that reasonable disagreement would end in mutually beneficial resolution.
They expected that the “self evident” truth of our common humanity would be the basic foundation of all that we do and become as Americans.
They didn’t envision this ongoing nightmare of mass shootings in schools, churches, theaters, concerts and grocery stores, to name a few. They couldn’t have.
Yet, we are called to act on what they did envision: the will - and the ability- to rise up to do what is right by each other and by this nation.
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