America: There is no jargon in Our Founding Documents

As my family and I celebrated the 248th Anniversary of this great nation, I felt the need to write about the one thing that is glaringly obvious - there is no jargon in the founding documents of the United States of America! While the language at times may be archaic, the meaning of those words are as straight-forward as can be.

These are the first words of the Declaration of Independence, In Congress, July 4, 1776.

"The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Pretty simple, huh? There really is no other way to interpret the profound and historical meaning of these words. Although this document is not legally binding, it sets the principles on which our government, and our identity as Americans, are based.

Then we have the most important document in our history - The Constitution of the United States of America.

"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."

--Preamble to the United States Constitution

The Constitution sets the rules and regulations for the structure of our government, and is the supreme law of the land. The document consists of 27 Amendments, many of which have been ratified through the document's 237 year history. But you know what? The language is still clear! There is no room for interpretation, despite efforts by many to construe the language to fit various agendas.

There are various ways people try to interpret the Constitution to suit their agenda.

There's the "Literalist" who thinks that only muskets should be allowed under the 2nd Amendment because that is what existed when the document was written.

Unlimited high-speed internet or free pizza delivery? These are essential to the pursuit of happiness in today's society, right? Well, there are many that take this interpretation of "constitutional rights" to absurd extremes!

The "Personal Convenience" approach interprets the Constitution in ways that conveniently support the individual's personal beliefs or desires. If someone wants to do something, they find a way to justify it as a constitutional right, no matter how far-fetched the argument.

The view that conveniently ignores parts of the Constitution that are inconvenient or contradict the individual's beliefs is called the "Selective Memory" interpretation. For example, someone might champion free speech while advocating for censorship of opposing viewpoints, ignoring the Constitution's protections for all speech.

Many of these bogus interpretations often arise in debates and discussions, highlighting the diverse and sometimes humorous ways people try to twist the Constitution to fit their own narratives. But as we all know, there is no interpretation of this great document.

So, in the spirit of what this great country represents, let's all come together, and Kill the Jargon that is destroying this great nation!