Robert Byrd's 4th of July Comments in Charleston West Virginia
The city if Charleston welcomed the state's senior Senator for a 4th of July celebration that is always very well attended. This year Senator Byrd gave a great speech on our democracy.
July 04, 2006
Robert C. Byrd
The Greatest Country on Earth: Constitution the framework for America’s success
Here are Sen. Robert C. Byrd’s remarks from Monday’s Independence Day celebration in Charleston:
We gather together to commemorate a defining historical moment. For it was on July 4, 230 years ago, that members of the Second Continental Congress adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence, and the world’s greatest experiment in government began.
In 1787, after a half dozen years of laboring under our country’s first Constitution, the flawed Articles of Confederation, a new Constitution, one that would stand as a beacon to man’s best hopes across the ages, was born.
It is that same Constitution that governs our great country today, and the first words of its Preamble are, “We the people....”
Three simple words, “We the people,” set forth the bedrock principle for the most radical and revolutionary form of government ever to illuminate the human mind. Under our system, the people are sovereign. In the United States of America the people are King. The government serves at the people’s pleasure.
Think of it — citizens as sovereigns. What an earth-shaking approach to managing the earthly affairs of men!
Its underpinnings, of course, are the experience of history, and the novel conviction that a government ought to reflect the values and common beliefs of those who give their consent to be governed.
Ours is a representative democracy, mind you. We the people choose our fellow citizens to go to Congress, go to the White House or the Statehouse, and speak and act for us. But, should they fail our trust, we can replace them through peaceful and open elections.
It is because this country, these United States of America, has so closely reflected the values and morals of its people that we have become the Greatest Country on Earth.
That’s right. We are great, not because of our military might, although that might is the envy of the planet. We are great, not because of our popular culture — our means of dress, our movies, our music — although that culture has certainly invaded the world marketplace. No.
We are a great country because we are an idealistic country — a nation of dreamers and dreams that has put those dreams down on parchment, and enacted them into laws. We the people are America.
We the people of America believe in freedom to pray, speak, and work. We the people believe in due process, the right to a fair trial, protection against cruel and unusual punishment, and unreasonable searches and seizures of property.
We the people believe in fairness, honesty, kindness to one’s neighbor, whether that neighbor be down the street or across the Atlantic. We the people know children are our hope for the future and the family is the crucible of an orderly, just, and caring society. We believe in openness and accountability, and we know that too many secrets breed abuse of our laws and of our freedoms. We all know the story of George Washington and the cherry tree. And, while the story may be a myth it highlights the universal American admiration for truth, and for those who endeavor to always tell it.
Here in this beautiful city among the hills of this beautiful state, all those values are vibrantly lived and cherished each and every day. America’s heritage, the soul of her greatness lies with each and every one of you here tonight, and millions of other Americans like you who quietly live their lives with decency, respect and reverence, far, far removed from the arrogance, corruption, and rudeness that sometimes dominates our political discourse and occasionally seeps into our national policies.
In truth you are America, for you are the people — the last best hope of the Framers as they put their dreams on parchment in the form of a Constitution for the ages — the framework for a country that has inspired the world. America, like the fireworks we will soon watch illuminate this night sky, has illuminated the darkness for millions of people around the globe with her bright promise of dignity for all.
I love the people of this state, and I love the people of this country. I have watched America change and grow to become the giant that it is. There have been disturbing days and periods of deep despair in our history. But whenever we have been blown off track by the tempestuous winds of events, our ship of state has corrected course because the Constitution lives, and the people reign. We the people must pass on with careful hands what a great and good Creator gave to our forefathers over two centuries ago. We are the living stewards of that declaration of July 4, 1776, and the guardians of precious centuries of lives both lived and lost for freedom. We are the people. May we ever reign!
Byrd is West Virginia’s senior senator.
The city if Charleston welcomed the state's senior Senator for a 4th of July celebration that is always very well attended. This year Senator Byrd gave a great speech on our democracy.
July 04, 2006
Robert C. Byrd
The Greatest Country on Earth: Constitution the framework for America’s success
Here are Sen. Robert C. Byrd’s remarks from Monday’s Independence Day celebration in Charleston:
We gather together to commemorate a defining historical moment. For it was on July 4, 230 years ago, that members of the Second Continental Congress adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence, and the world’s greatest experiment in government began.
In 1787, after a half dozen years of laboring under our country’s first Constitution, the flawed Articles of Confederation, a new Constitution, one that would stand as a beacon to man’s best hopes across the ages, was born.
It is that same Constitution that governs our great country today, and the first words of its Preamble are, “We the people....”
Three simple words, “We the people,” set forth the bedrock principle for the most radical and revolutionary form of government ever to illuminate the human mind. Under our system, the people are sovereign. In the United States of America the people are King. The government serves at the people’s pleasure.
Think of it — citizens as sovereigns. What an earth-shaking approach to managing the earthly affairs of men!
Its underpinnings, of course, are the experience of history, and the novel conviction that a government ought to reflect the values and common beliefs of those who give their consent to be governed.
Ours is a representative democracy, mind you. We the people choose our fellow citizens to go to Congress, go to the White House or the Statehouse, and speak and act for us. But, should they fail our trust, we can replace them through peaceful and open elections.
It is because this country, these United States of America, has so closely reflected the values and morals of its people that we have become the Greatest Country on Earth.
That’s right. We are great, not because of our military might, although that might is the envy of the planet. We are great, not because of our popular culture — our means of dress, our movies, our music — although that culture has certainly invaded the world marketplace. No.
We are a great country because we are an idealistic country — a nation of dreamers and dreams that has put those dreams down on parchment, and enacted them into laws. We the people are America.
We the people of America believe in freedom to pray, speak, and work. We the people believe in due process, the right to a fair trial, protection against cruel and unusual punishment, and unreasonable searches and seizures of property.
We the people believe in fairness, honesty, kindness to one’s neighbor, whether that neighbor be down the street or across the Atlantic. We the people know children are our hope for the future and the family is the crucible of an orderly, just, and caring society. We believe in openness and accountability, and we know that too many secrets breed abuse of our laws and of our freedoms. We all know the story of George Washington and the cherry tree. And, while the story may be a myth it highlights the universal American admiration for truth, and for those who endeavor to always tell it.
Here in this beautiful city among the hills of this beautiful state, all those values are vibrantly lived and cherished each and every day. America’s heritage, the soul of her greatness lies with each and every one of you here tonight, and millions of other Americans like you who quietly live their lives with decency, respect and reverence, far, far removed from the arrogance, corruption, and rudeness that sometimes dominates our political discourse and occasionally seeps into our national policies.
In truth you are America, for you are the people — the last best hope of the Framers as they put their dreams on parchment in the form of a Constitution for the ages — the framework for a country that has inspired the world. America, like the fireworks we will soon watch illuminate this night sky, has illuminated the darkness for millions of people around the globe with her bright promise of dignity for all.
I love the people of this state, and I love the people of this country. I have watched America change and grow to become the giant that it is. There have been disturbing days and periods of deep despair in our history. But whenever we have been blown off track by the tempestuous winds of events, our ship of state has corrected course because the Constitution lives, and the people reign. We the people must pass on with careful hands what a great and good Creator gave to our forefathers over two centuries ago. We are the living stewards of that declaration of July 4, 1776, and the guardians of precious centuries of lives both lived and lost for freedom. We are the people. May we ever reign!
Byrd is West Virginia’s senior senator.
posted by Charleston West Virginia Economic Development
@ 10:32 AM
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