Ya gotta see some value in "a more perfect union"

"If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be." - Yogi Berra
It's about progress, not perfection. That is not something I believe but rather know to be true.

I say this after reading idealist perspectives on the past and, for the most part, toward the so-called "founding fathers." To entirely discount the achievements of these men is not only naive, it is disingenuous. It is fact that most, if not all, enslaved people. Horrifically owning fellow human beings. Yes, it is true that they completely discounted the female voice, and yes, it is true that they essentially established a system in which only the property owner had a significant role to play. In the light of today, everyone one of those truths is unethical, inhuman, and destructive. What's worse is even to this day, people codify their actions with the reality of the past.

As one can intellectually see these truths, it is also rational that one should be able to recognize that they also put forward a means to self-govern not seen in the western European establishment. They paved the way to self-correct precisely for the reason I mentioned above. The past can always be called into question in the light of the present day. Because, like nature, society evolves. Even in the writings of Jefferson and Adams, it is at least evident that they knew that as it pertained to the Magna Carta. They recognized it was a breakthrough at the time but out of date in the early 1800s, yet still had intrinsic value to adopt in part. The strength to comprise for the sake of progress was the strength of the founding fathers.

For example, to completely discount the value of the constitutional ability to amend defined in 1789 is to say that everyone should be vilified for having the foresight to learn and adjust. One would be wrong if one expects today's values to hold up in the light of, say, 200 years from now. 

Flat out, you and I will be shown to be wrong eventually somewhere. The point here is not to say the founding fathers were men of greatness but rather knew better than some today that progress is attainable, but perfection is not. "A more perfect union" is Not a perfect one.

I'm sure some will read this as a rationalization, and it will be condemned. I welcome this. It's taken me a long time to balance this in my mind, and I recognize it's coming from a straight white male. But the fact is we have failed to continue to utilize the greatest gift bestowed on us, The power of amendment. The rest of the world has passed us by as we spin in polarization over the last 60-75 years.

j