Common

 "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."

The Constitution is perhaps THE foundational document of the American experiment in democracy. The preamble, just 52 words, sets out the general goals of the document and, by extension, the government it established.

In an era of partisanship, of "them" and "us" it is instructive to look at the language of the founders. They had their differences, strong differences in many cases, but they were somehow able to reach compromises - agreements where neither got exactly what they wanted, but both got some. To "ensure domestic tanquility".

They provided for the "common" defense, in other words, the defense of the whole - not just some people or a single region. They promoted the "general" welfare - industrialists and agriculturists, rich and poor, immigrants and native-born. They "secured the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity". In other words for everyone in their generation and all to come after.

Finally, they worried about justice. They proclaimed justice for all, not just landowners or rich or native-born. No one, they felt, was above the law, nor was wealth or power a shield from lawfulness.

We are met in a country beset by assault on all of these principals. Allies of the President, and the President himself, appear to think themselves above the law; that the laws do not apply to them. We are beset by the idea that the blessings of liberty should only be granted to those in agreement with the President. That only those allied with him should reap financial rewards. I am not even sure what "defense" is being done.

Clearly the current administration has discarded the principals laid down in the Preamble and the Constitution more generally. If the American experiment in democracy is to survive those who believe in it need to stand up, make their voices and their votes be counted, and remove from office all of those who abrogate those founding documents. 

Look past the rhetoric and see. Those who stand with the President are for justice for some, liberty for some, tranquility for some. There is room here for "us" and "them" but only if we stand up for the Principles of Liberty.