So often those who seek to represent the people fail to clearly express how they will represent the people. In an effort to be as clear and open about what I think, I sought to write a short synopsis. The Preamble states "We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Whenever legislation comes before a member of Congress, they should ask themselves whether the bill will aid or hinder any of the concepts listed in the preamble of the Constitution. The legislation should be easy to understand and concise so that all Americans can understand how it applies to them." As John Stuart Mill said, "Security of person and property and equal justice between individuals are the first needs of society and the primary ends of government."

I support the implementation of a one subject amendment to the Federal Constitution. Over forty states have such an amendment to their state constitutions. In Oklahoma, this protection can be found in V-57 of the Oklahoma Constitution. A one subject amendment protects citizens by making it hard for politicians to sneak legislation through the voting process on the backs of other bills. I also support giving the President the line item veto. The United States Supreme Court held in Clinton v. City of New York, 524 U.S. 417 that the Constitution does not currently allow for a line item veto. The Court said that the Legislature would have to work through the Article V amendment process if they wanted to grant a line item veto to the President. I believe it would be worthwhile to do so. This would allow the President to veto specific portions of a bill which may have only made it into a bill on the coattails of the main portion. Congress would then have to override the veto if they feel it is really worthwhile legislation.

Establish Justice

The goal of society is to provide equal justice for all. To fulfill this aim, everyone must have equality under the law. We must not have different laws for different classes and races. Discrimination based on age, creed, disability, race, or sex should not be tolerated and is adverse to a nation which desires equality among its peoples.

Insure Domestic Tranquility

The Government is responsible for insuring domestic tranquility. The Federal government's primary purpose is to protect the nation from outside forces. The States, however, are well-suited to keep the peace in the local setting. To accomplish this goal of domestic tranquility, the government must provide adequate police protection, provide sentences which are fairly proportionate to crimes committed, and provide rehabilitation for those who will be returning to society so they are less likely to commit new crimes upon release. In regards to sentencing, I support mandatory sentencing provisions for violent or sexual offenses against children, rape, and assaults resulting in serious bodily harm. Gang rape, child rape, and rape committed in the course of another felony deserve mandatory life imprisonment to deter these terrible crimes. I oppose parole and the early release of dangerous or repeat felons. Judges and juries give sentences for reasons third parties may not understand and it is improper for a third party to grant an early release. The courts must have the option of imposing the death penalty in capital murder cases and federal review of those sentences should be streamlined to focus on claims of innocence and to prevent delaying tactics.

Prisons serve an important function in our criminal justice system. Prison guards should be provided adequate protection from the inmates they guard. At the same time, I believe persons imprisoned must be protected from cruel treatment by other inmates. Facilities should be updated to accommodate the number of inmates who may reside within.

I believe we should protect those who protect us. By this I mean, we should protect police officers. I support mandatory sentences for assaults causing bodily injuries on police officers. Those convicted of a crime should be barred from seeking monetary damages for injuries they incur while committing that crime. I believe this is a protection which should be afforded to both police officers and private citizens. I also support the right of off-duty and retired officers to carry firearms for their and others protection.

I believe that Americans have a right to bear arms. Gun ownership enables Americans to defend themselves, their property, and their community. As the old saying goes, "one sword often keeps another in the scabbard." Gun control, for the most part, affects and penalizes law abiding citizens and does little to stop violent criminals from carrying out their ill wills. The better route is to provide stiffer penalties for violent crimes committed with a firearm and to teach firearm safety to prevent accidental injuries.

Provide for the Common Defense

Benjamin Franklin once said, "The way to secure peace is to be prepared for war. They that are on their guard, and appear ready to receive their adversaries, are in much less danger of being attacked than the supine, secure and negligent." Providing for the defense of our great nation is the primary concern of the federal government. Without protection from forces outside our borders, our way of life and the freedoms we love so much would be in a constant state of jeopardy. We owe so much to those who serve in our armed forces. Our military personnel and their families must have fair pay, health care, housing, and education. Injured military personnel deserve the best medical care available. After all, much of their ailments and injuries were obtained in the service of our country.

Our military must be equipped to defend against tomorrow's threats. The legislature should provide the funding necessary to do this. Providing for the common defense was one of the core reasons for why the founders created a central government.

Promote the General Welfare

The role of the government is to provide equal rights, not to provide equal things among the people. The government may not take from the "haves" in order to provide to the "have-nots" as this is not its proper function. If we were to allow the government to do this, what protection would then exist for the people originally deemed "have-nots" when the government decides they have too much and decide to take from them? Gerald Ford said "government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have." He added, "The course of history shows that as government grows, liberty decreases." The United States of America is one of the most compassionate and generous nations in history. Its people, fraternal societies, and religious organizations are the best suited for helping those who are in need. The government should not be involved in redistributing wealth among its citizenry. In the words of Samuel Adams,"The utopian schemes of leveling and a community of goods are as visionary and impracticable as those which vest all property in the Crown. [These ideas] are arbitrary, despotic, and, in our government, unconstitutional."

The government should not take in more taxes than is necessary to perform its essential functions as enumerated by the Constitution. Taking more deprives citizens of their hard earned cash that they could spend elsewhere. People should have more control over their earnings than the government currently allows. The individual should be allowed to invest their funds where they desire, it is not the governments place to do that for them. It is not a lack of funds that causes Congress to raise taxes, it is their overspending. They are spending far more than is necessary, and in areas that they have no Constitutional authority to be involved.

Four areas that must be reformed in order to promote the general welfare are Social Security, Health Care, the tax code, and our infrastructure. I believe Social Security should be grandfathered out. What in the Constitution gives the government the right to tell the People that a portion of their money must be put aside until they are too old to enjoy it? It is the individual’s income and the individual should be able to do with it as they desire. I fear the politicians disagree and are too tempted to keep the money they raise for Social Security coming in so they have a place to dip their hand when the need arises. If the program cannot be done away with, Americans should be allowed to choose where to invest their funds and it should be inheritable. Rather than having taxpayer money put into social security over the course of a lifetime stay with the Federal government, it should be passed on to the loved ones of the taxpayer. Health care is in drastic need of change. Medicare and Medicaid need to be reformed so as to be solvent. Health insurance should be portable. A person should not be terrified of changing careers for fear of losing their health insurance. The tax code should be simplified so that all Americans can understand it. I support the Fair Tax which is a consumption tax. Under the Fair Tax, the 16th Amendment is repealed and the IRS done away with. Tax evasion is made nearly impossible and even the criminal underground will pay taxes when they purchase goods. Finally, our infrastructure needs to be repaired and updated to accommodate tomorrow’s needs. Our roads are important for internal trade and travel. They should be a safe way to move from part of the country to the other. Our airports should be better constructed and enlarged in order to accommodate the growing traffic. Improving the infrastructure will also create much needed jobs and will aid in rebuilding our economy.

Secure the Blessings of Liberty to Ourselves and Our Posterity

The government should help secure the blessings of liberty, to ourselves and to our posterity. Good education is necessary for a people hoping to secure the blessing of liberty to its posterity. We must pass on the collective wisdom of the founding fathers, our fathers, and ourselves to the next generation. It is said that history repeats itself. If history were taught well, maybe that phenomenon would occur less frequently.

The Federal government has no role in education outlined in the Constitution. Therefore, it is the State's responsibility and they should have authority over education within their borders. If the Federal government attempts to regulate education and require each school to have certain programs, the Federal government should be responsible for providing the funding necessary to cover the costs created by the legislation.

A higher level of education is sometimes necessary to compete for a job which only requires a high school diploma in today's society. As such, it is important to make college more easily accessible for students. Tuition inflates higher and higher each year, making it impossible for many to afford a college education.

Conclusion

I hope this short writing will help the reader gain a perspective on what I am about. The reforms I advocate would help to create transparency and cause the government to be more accountable to the people. I believe the laws apply to all and that no one is above the law, not even the government. The Constitution not only provides the method of government for the United States, but the rights of the people. As soon as those in government are no longer accountable to their constituents, no longer have a backbone to stand up for what is right, and no longer work to keep the government within the confines of the Constitution the people will soon have lost their rights.