Social Contract
My father carried pocket-sized copies of the Constitution to give away. He loved it both as a social contract and for the human-centered values that the Bill of Rights so brilliantly conveys.
Following these rules is compulsory for all Americans.
Pluralism
The constitution encourages pluralism, allowing people of many cultures, beliefs, and cuisines to live in mutual respect and collectively maintain social order.
Extremism
The First Amendment constrains extreme doctrines seeking to silence opposition. Instead, it values open debate and seeking common ground.
Overcoming the Blame Game
No one person or group is solely to blame for the difficulties we face today. Most of the decisions that brought us here were made by people who genuinely believed they were doing the right thing at the time.
Instead, ask yourself: what’s next? What kind of society do you want to live in 5, 10, 20 years from now?
We waste resources and hasten our decline with blame, extreme ideologies, and violence. Collaborative and creative problem-solving are far better strategies, though success requires overcoming ideological barriers.
The cause of our ills isn’t any particular group or ideology. The problem is that we’re not listening to each other and working together.
Revising the Constitution
Without a living social contract, any society will tend toward anarchy or fascism. Fortunately, we don’t have to invent anything new–we need to refamiliarize ourselves with the rule book, play by its intent, and build the society we need now.
At the end of the day—rich, poor, left, right, Christian and atheist—we’re all in this together.
Read More:
- Constitution of the United States – US Senate
- We Have to Talk: A Step-By-Step Checklist for Difficult Conversations by Judy Ringer
- How to Lead Tough Conversations TED Talkby Adar Cohen
- The Political Values Behind Thriving Societies by D. Gleason
- Government in Service to its People by D. Gleason