Five new candidates have started their campaigns for the City Council election this November. The step they have each just taken is the foundation of our American system of government. They are appealing to their fellow citizens to be chosen as their representatives under a system that is formed by the three most powerful words in the world: “We The People.”
These three words have deep roots in a field beside the River Thames in Runnymede, England. It was there that a group of rebellious barons prevailed upon King John of England to sign the Magna Carta Libertatum (Latin for “the Great Charter of the Liberties”) on June 15, 1215. This was the first step in shifting power from the crown to the people and establishing the rule of law. The Magna Carta would ultimately, in part, influence our American founding fathers in their crafting of our constitution, which begins with those three words: “We The People.” Those words ensure our freedom. We are not “subjects” of the crown. The American government was established by the people, for the people, and is accountable to the people. This is America.
Although written for a young country at the time, those guidelines set forth by our founders have resulted in the United States having one of the oldest and most enduring governments in the world today. One notable exception is England—birthplace of the Magna Carta and the rule of law—which has endured even longer than the United States.
Elected officials and military personnel swear an oath, not to the flag, not to the president, not to the government, but to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic”.
I want to thank the new candidates for stepping forward to be chosen by your fellow Americans in our representative form of government. Your selfless decision to give part of your life in service to your country and your fellow citizens is to be commended. You are in for a very rewarding experience.
Rick Mullen