A statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true.
The USA Consitution has a paradox. It states:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, 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 preamble (click here) sets the stage for the Constitution (Archives.gov). It clearly communicates the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document. The preamble is an introduction to the highest law of the land; it is not the law. It does not define government powers or individual rights.
We the people in order to form a more perfect union. Those words are a marriage of ideas. It marries the idea of individual people coming together and forming governance. That is the rule of the majority. But, the US Constitution goes on from there.
The people want to establish justice, domestic tranquility, a common defense, general welfare for all the people, and SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY.
Hm. How does all this happen? How do individuals live under governance designed to control the social fabric of their lives?
Liberty. What an odd idea in the massive writing of the USA Constitution. Isn't liberty about individual rights?
Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views.
The paradox. The USA Consitution provides for governance to protect a sovereign country while people live their lives without an oppressive regime or single dictator or king. The USA Constitution created within a paradox creates the concept of "majority" and "minority." Minority is not about race, it is a way to state that individuals have rights that may be different from the majority rule.
Got it?
The USA Constitution is a paradox. Complicated, but, true.
