Not Perfect

A page about Fidel Castro in a world history book I was looking at stirred me to consider how I think about 'the people' in the 'We the People of the United States ...' which begins our Constitution. 


I think that, that 'People' is meant to be inclusive. I don't think that it just refers to the comfortable ones. I think that it includes the ones who want a better, more honorable, more just nation.


I think that 'the People' of our Constitution includes the hundreds of thousands of Americans without work, the hundreds of thousands who work and cannot earn enough to house their families without crushing debt. I think 'the people' includes industrial workers who not only lost their jobs, but also saw much of their benefit and retirement funds disappear.


The people includes those who pay interest on money borrowed to get their families from on moth to the next in some dignity. The people includes tens of thousands of teachers and professors who are treated like jailers and trainers, but paid less. Teachers and professors vital for maintaining the good in our society and for providing the people a chance for a better destiny are honored less than a stock broker and paid less.


The tens of thousands of small business men and women weighted down with debt and too often with confounding paper work are part of this 'People.'


Tens of thousands of young professionals with fresh degrees and a desire to work find themselves before closed doors are part of this 'People.'


Each of these  people are responsible for his or her -self and, have also united to form a move perfect union.