Ah… the Fourth of July. Parades. Picnics. Pies. Independence Day celebrations are as American as apple pie, especially. But wait! Apple pie isn’t American in origin, and much as I love pie — mmmm, a berry pie can be wondrous — did you know…
Apple pie traces its origins to 14th century Britain, with 17th century and 19th century variations from the Dutch and the French respectively. This is a nice little reminder of our melting pot status in the U.S., and how richly our culture benefits from the diversity that is so much a part of our history, our present, and our future.
Now, care for a slice of true Americana with your holiday hotdog and decadent dessert? Something incredibly impressive? How about the Constitution?
In some circles (and media), the Constitution is a document that is much discussed these days, though in other circles, it seems utterly outrageously overlooked — depending on your politically partisan leanings, lifestyle, role, or reading/viewing habits. Yes, indeed. The U.S. Constitution. It’s a remarkable achievement; an evolving, interpretive tool; a foundational set of human assumptions and ideals many of us used to take for granted; and believe it or not, I have been slowly working my way through it with gusto.
Consider this, the opening that so many of us in the U.S. learned as children:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, 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.
We the People. Us. You and me, for whom the government works and to whom the government answers — in theory.
Right. Well… I’ll keep you posted on how it all turns out. My reading, that is.
The Constitution is not on a typical summer reading list I know, but I have been wanting to tackle it in entirety ever since Gold star father Khizr Khan pulled out a pocket version back in 2016. And I anticipate it to be a worthy (and challenging) little adventure. Certainly worthy during Fourth of July week, in particular as I contemplate my grandfather and great grandparents who came to this country and built a life from scratch.
They were immigrants. Escaping persecution. Not speaking the language. Wanting better for the next generations and willing to work, work, work just for a shot at what Lady Liberty promised.
I can’t begin to comprehend how terrifying it must have been. And yet my grandfather, at the age of five, was with his parents and his siblings. They had each other. They were together.
Conjuring a little boy of five, fleeing his home country in fear, arriving in a foreign land where he does not speak the language and everything around him is different and disorienting — it is inconceivable to imagine him separated from his family and on his own.
Meanwhile, as I read and reflect this week, I am in the mood for pie. A red white and blueberry pie. Yes, my need for comfort food, which dates to November 2016, is not yet on the decline.
Speaking of which, check out this awesome recipe for mixed berry pie. It looks delish! Or, if you prefer, just pass the hotdogs, the sparklers (safely, please), and a nice tart Granny smith. A piece of fruit is less soul-soothing, but in this heat wave?
Just the ticket.
So what are you reading this week? What are you eating? Does the shaky state of the world make you grab for sweets, salt, comfort — or do you lose your appetite? And where did your “people” come from? Were they native to the nation you call home? Were they brought to a new land forcefully in slave ships or as indentured servants? Did they immigrate to escape famine or poverty or violence? Did they make the journey chasing a dream?
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To read and reflect on the U.S. Constitution during this Fourth of July week is a great idea. I suggest adding the Declaration of Independence to that process.
The current U.S. Constitution consists of the original Constitution and the 27 amendments to it that have been enacted. Amendments 1 through 10 are known as the Bill of Rights. Together, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (including the Bill of Rights) “have secured the rights of the American people for more than two and a quarter centuries and are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States.” (https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs)
Because of your post, I am going to spend this July 4 reading and reflecting on the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution and to make that reading and reflection an ongoing practice. Particularly in these perilous times, those of us who are fortunate enough to be citizens of the United States need to be very familiar with, and to keep in the front of our minds, the core principles articulated in those documents, including but not limited to the Constitution’s enumeration of the people’s rights in relation to their government, delegation of certain powers to the federal government, and reservation of all powers not delegated to the federal government to the people or the states.
The website of the National Archives is a good place to find transcripts and explanations of these documents. See, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs .
The book “Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution” is a good read on how the constitutional conference in 1787 produced the document. My impression from the book is there was plenty of negotiation and an acceptance that it was imperfect. Even as a non-American, I found the book interesting especially how the three-fifths rule came about; paradoxically slave owner states wanted the ratio to be higher than three-fifths, abolitionist states wanted it lower since population matters for seats in congress. Highly recommended!
Great recommendations — from you and Leslie both. (My book includes the amendments including the all important first!)