Guiding values
| This page is an official publication of Last Change: 2015-11-21 |
We all share the cherished values that have endured since our nation's inception: justice and liberty. Everyone in the United States has those values. If someone in the U.S. doesn't believe in liberty and justice, they're living in the wrong country. The Uniting Amendment is guided by those common values.
Integrity and compassion are two other widely held values, but they are nearly absent from our governing institutions. The Uniting Amendment seeks to restore freedom and fairness while implementing changes to our government which encourage compassion and integrity.
We also value our democracy. Democracy is the form of government that we have always had — government by the people. The type of democracy we have is a republic, a system of government largely run by representatives who, for the most part, are elected by the people. The Uniting Amendment does not intend to change that. In fact, the current revision of the Uniting Amendment preserves the same three branches of government we have today.
Other principles are derivative of those values and of the system of government that supports them. For example, transparency is required to assure the integrity of the government; broad participation by an educated and informed population is required so that the actions of the government reflect the will of the people (democracy); and a compassionate society develops policies that promote happiness and assist those who are in need, while preserving freedom and fairness. The protection of our rights helps assure the protection of our liberty, and in order to prevent aggressors from taking away our freedom (or our life, property and other things we value), an effective form of security and defense is required.
Finally, because the Constitution has a long-term scope, it must be forward-looking and anticipate future circumstances as much as possible. Because the pace of change in society will likely increase as we move forward, our highest law should accommodate that change.
These are the guiding values and principles that drive the development of the Uniting Amendment.
