Liberty and JUSTICE

“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.” (The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America)


I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty AND JUSTICE for all. (The pledge of allegiance)


Our conservative, free-market friends on the right are very passionate about freedom. Freedom, of course, is expressed as “liberty.” The free market advocates adamantly proclaim that liberty is the cornerstone of the founding of the United States. They genuinely believe there should not be any restrictions on their freedom…well, at least where business is concerned. The un-restrained free market will solve all inequities in their opinion. They would gladly turn over your fate and safety to the free market economy. Business will do right and the inequities will be forced to the sidelines in a “free market economy,” they will tell you.

However, these dedicated friends of ours overlook an important aspect of the founding fathers. Liberty is tempered with “justice.” Establishing justice, insuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, and promoting the general welfare are all components of securing the blessings of liberty. The founding fathers never thought that liberty wouldn’t need to be tempered. And, justice, domestic tranquility, a common defense and promoting the general welfare were the buffer they foresaw as predicates to freedom, or liberty.

I’ve used this example several times to demonstrate to my children why there is a need for regulation, or what some might call “government interference.” When you go to buy gasoline for your car you drive into the convenience store of your choice, you put the nozzle into your gas tank and begin to fill up your tank. You don’t stop to think about whether the pump maybe filling your gas tank with water, sugar water, or something else harmful to your car engine. You know you’re getting gasoline. You don’t have to weigh the fuel to determine whether you’re getting a gallon, or quart, or pint. You know you’re getting a gallon of gas. Then, you don’t have to calculate whether you were charged the amount advertised on the marquis of the station sign. You know the fuel pump is accurately measuring and charging you correctly. Why is that?

That’s because government regulations (or what some call government interference) require the business to be honest about the advertising, the government inspects the fuel to insure they are selling gasoline and not something else, and the government calibrates the pump to insure the correct amount is being charged. Because of all this we have confidence in the commerce of our country. Similar regulation exists for most all avenues of our economy. That’s the JUSTICE insuring the “blessings of liberty.”

It’s time for our conservative free market, “keep your hands off my…whatever,” friends realize that justice, and promoting the general welfare, is as much a part of our national DNA as “freedom or liberty” is.

And, when they start waiving their copies of their pocket size U. S. Constitution in your face inquiring where the Constitution says the government has any right dictating healthcare for the country…suggest they read that document they carry around. Explain that “promoting the general welfare” is exactly what provides for the government to enact laws regarding the health of our citizens. They won’t have to read very far…it’s in the first sentence.

Remind them that it’s not justice when “too large to fail” banks, oversized insurance companies, and investment banks are allowed to gouge “we the people” in the name of freedom, free markets, or liberty.

Liberty and JUSTICE for all!