To Love Your Country, Love Your Countrymen

Joel K. Douglas

Ranch hand kid | Decorated combat veteran | I believe in America

Published Dec 24, 2024

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I Am and the Burning Bush

This is not a religious piece. But stick with me for a minute.

I grew up attending small country churches. As a young boy, I asked my mother, “Who made God?”

She had the answers. No one made God. God has always been and always will be—the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Of course, this answer was not satisfactory to me. As a boy and now, my limited human capacity to understand infinity, quantum physics, and whether all time and space can exist simultaneously demonstrates I will never really be able to comprehend the nature of God. But I still try and understand.

The story that sticks with me most about the existence of God is the story of Moses and the burning bush. If you’re unfamiliar, here’s a quick version.

Moses was tending a flock of sheep near the mountain of God when he noticed a strange sight. A bush was on fire, but the fire wasn’t destroying it. He was curious and approached the bush to investigate.

As he approached the bush, God called out to him. God told Moses that He had seen the suffering of His people in Egypt and would deliver them from slavery.

God gave Moses a mission: He was to go to Pharaoh, convince him to release the slaves, and lead them out of Egypt. Moses pushed back. He doubted. Still trying to shirk his duty, Moses asked what name he should give when others questioned who sent him.

God answered, “I AM WHO I AM.” And, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I Am has sent me to you.’”

The story isn’t compelling to me because God spoke to Moses. It’s not compelling because the bush didn’t burn up. It’s not compelling because of the subsequent exodus and lack of faith demonstrated by humanity that doomed a generation. It’s compelling because only once in the Judeo-Christian tradition did a human ask God His name. Moses is the only one to explicitly ask God His name and receive a direct answer. And God didn’t answer the Almighty, the Creator, or the Ancient of Days. God answered, my name is ‘I Am.’

No human making up a name for God would have thought to call the Almighty ‘I Am.’ … Names signify identity but always depend on something external to the individual. No one names themselves. However, God has no ‘other’ to provide a name. God exists outside the framework of creation and human conventions. So, when asked for a name, the only possible response is “I Am.”

Of course, the 3,500-year-old story doesn’t erase the questions about the existence of God. Because tomorrow is Christmas Day, I’d like to approach national belief from another angle. The source of love for others is God. Whether you believe God exists or not, the question of how we live and treat each other remains.

God commanded us to love each other. But even if God doesn’t exist, should we not love our countrymen?

Loving one another isn’t just for the good of others. It’s for our own good. Said another way, loving each other brings us more benefits than it gives to others. And nowhere is this love better demonstrated than in the national goals enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution.

Love and the Constitution

The Preamble to the Constitution outlines the document’s purpose. Without the Preamble, the rest of the Constitution loses all meaning. The Preamble provides the foundation, outlining the reason the Constitution exists. Its aspirational and nearly unattainable goals are the greatest expression of brotherly love ever written by mankind outside a spiritual text. It outlines…

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.

Let’s look at it piece by piece. The nation’s guiding document outlines a national purpose to achieve six highly aspirational goals: Union, Justice, Tranquility, Defense, Welfare, and Liberty. America strives to achieve these six goals to secure the benefits for ourselves and others. The nation’s first goal…

Union

Our first national goal is to preserve the union. Our union is a union of states and individuals who live in those states. Like any marriage, partnership, or community, there is no lasting union without love.

In the context of union, love isn’t about affection. It’s commitment, sacrifice, and a willingness to work through differences. A union can’t thrive without the shared understanding that we are stronger together than apart. Without love and commitment for each other, the cracks in the union fracture and lead to collapse.

The closing line of the Declaration of Independence states, “And for the support of this Declaration…we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” This line underscores the essence of union later found in the Constitution—a bond forged by shared goals and sacrifice. The signatories committed themselves to one another and to the union of states. They understood that achieving something greater than themselves required sacrifice and a willingness to stand together, even at the cost of losing the war and everything they had.

Union isn’t the absence of conflict or failure. It’s the shared responsibility of both. It doesn’t mean agreement; it means shared ownership of the outcomes, good or bad. We are a union, united in success and united in failure.

This is the heart of any lasting union. No matter success or failure, states and individuals pledge themselves to one another, not out of convenience but out of love, honor, and shared purpose. Without this kind of commitment, no union can endure.

The nation’s second goal…

Justice

Our second goal is to establish justice. Loving each other enables justice for ourselves and others. It’s not just for the good of others. It’s for the good of ourselves.

Justice is the foundation for a society where individuals can fulfill their roles and contribute to the nation’s well-being. The founders outlined justice as a collective responsibility because it depends on the systems we build as a nation, not just individual action. It requires institutions that ensure fairness while empowering individuals to pursue their potential.

Justice means that people should be treated fairly and equally under the law. It also means that society strives toward individual opportunity and the equitable distribution of resources like education, healthcare, and housing. It encompasses fair opportunities in criminal justice, voting rights, and workplaces.

Justice is not a handout program. While it’s a national responsibility to establish conditions for justice, it’s an individual responsibility to rise to greatness. No one American can tell another what’s important to them, and our opinions change as we age and have different life experiences. Further, the American dream isn’t about material possessions. It’s about having the opportunity to pursue your dreams and live a fulfilling life.

These dreams have shared themes. An environment of justice enables people from humble beginnings to buy a house in a safe neighborhood with a good school for their children. Justice enabled self-educated President Lincoln to ascend from nothing to the nation’s highest office in arguably our greatest time of need. He remarked, “I am a living witness that any one of your children may look to come here as my father’s child has.” Justice makes the American Dream possible for anyone willing to strive for it.

Justice ensures stability and opportunity. These conditions benefit everyone, including those who feel far removed from the injustice others face. Justice encourages progress. When we empower others to succeed, society becomes more prosperous. Innovation, ideas, and contributions come from every corner of society and lift us all economically and culturally.

Justice isn’t charity—it’s opportunity. Justice isn’t favoritism—it’s fairness. Justice isn’t abstract—it’s the foundation of progress. Loving each other enables justice for ourselves and others. It’s not just for the good of others. It’s for the good of ourselves.

Our nation’s third goal…

Tranquility

Our third national goal is to ensure domestic tranquility. Tranquility means a society built on order, stability, and mutual respect.

Loving each other supports order and stability. Respect for one another makes compromise possible and conflict resolvable. Without it, rebellions, riots, and civil unrest rise, undermining national unity and success.

Tranquility requires effort from every individual and institution. … When we succeed, we resolve our differences with grace and dignity and are stronger together.

Tranquility was not assured in the years between the Articles of Confederation (1781–1789) and the Constitution.

Take Shays’ Rebellion (1786–1787) as an example. It began as an uprising of farmers in western Massachusetts, many of whom were Revolutionary War veterans. These farmers faced land foreclosure and imprisonment for unpaid debts. They felt betrayed by a system they had fought to defend. Led by Daniel Shays, they took up arms, closed courts, and attempted to disrupt government operations.

The rebellion revealed a dangerous flaw in the Articles of Confederation: individual states didn’t have the capacity to maintain order, and a weak federal government offered no support. The national government lacked the power to raise an army or enforce laws. This left states like Massachusetts to handle conflicts alone. The rebellion exposed the risks of a fragile union and demonstrated that the nation itself was at risk without tranquility.

Shays’ Rebellion directly influenced the drafting of the Constitution. The framers understood that tranquility had to be actively ensured through a stronger federal government capable of addressing domestic challenges while respecting state and individual sovereignty. That’s why “insure domestic Tranquility” became one of the six core national goals outlined in the Preamble.

Tranquility is a deliberate national choice to maintain collective peace, stability, and order. Peace comes from respect. Respect comes from love. Loving each other benefits us individually because it maintains stability and order.

Tranquility alone isn’t enough. We have to safeguard it, which leads us to our next goal. Our fourth national goal is…

Defense

Our fourth national goal is defense or mutual protection. If tranquility ensures domestic order, defense preserves that order and extends it to support America and her interests inside and beyond our borders. Defense is a deliberate choice to create conditions where freedom and stability thrive.

Loving each other supports protection because a united people are better equipped to ensure their survival and power. When a nation defends its interests, it does so out of love for its citizens and a commitment to the opportunities they seek to secure.

Nations have no choice but to ensure their survival and protect their interests. To guard the safety and security of the American people and our allies, we act alone and with partner nations to create favorable global conditions. These efforts protect freedom of action and influence.

Coalitions and international partnerships enhance security and contribute to global stability. These partnerships are strategic efforts that strengthen stability and set conditions for individuals to pursue their interests. By pooling resources, sharing intelligence, and projecting power, nations achieve together what none could achieve alone. When we protect our allies, we strengthen ourselves. A stable global environment ultimately contributes to the prosperity and safety of individual Americans.

A strong defense fuels economic growth. Stability provides the foundation for businesses to innovate and thrive and for investments to grow. Nations with robust defense and stable alliances attract global investment, foster trade, and expand economic opportunities. Defense and economics are inseparable. Economic strength fuels defense, and defense ensures the safety of markets and supply chains.

Economic strength underpins global influence, sustains technological leadership, and allows the nation to respond effectively to challenges. Protecting business interests and fostering growth are as much a part of defense as any military strategy.

Defense is a collective effort and a shared responsibility. Loving each other benefits us all because mutual protection creates stability and opportunity for individuals, businesses, and communities to succeed.

Our fifth national goal is…

Welfare

Our fifth national goal is to promote the general welfare. This goal identifies our collective duty to ensure the well-being of all Americans. The general welfare has nothing to do with social welfare programs. When the states ratified the Constitution to make it effective, social welfare programs did not exist.

Loving each other means recognizing that our success as individuals is tied to the success of others. People can contribute to society when the nation sets conditions to achieve widespread education, healthcare, housing, and safety. Empowering Americans to contribute to society is an investment in the nation's infrastructure.

This national infrastructure is human capital — the knowledge, skills, and abilities of individual Americans. Human capital is foundational infrastructure similar to bridges, roads, and dams. Collective individual capability generates national capability. Said another way, the skills and knowledge of individuals build the strength of the nation as a whole.

Promoting general welfare requires balancing individual freedom with collective progress. This balance means providing opportunities while preserving personal responsibility.

Investing in human capital—like education and healthcare—strengthens our collective ability to thrive and innovate. Consider education. It’s a cornerstone of promoting the general welfare. Education supports individuals, regardless of background, in gaining the knowledge, skills, and training necessary to function in and improve society. Or consider healthcare. It protects individuals and communities from preventable crises. Promoting the general welfare means supporting national infrastructure that demonstrates commitment to the idea that every American deserves the chance to pursue happiness and live a meaningful life. This effective governance demonstrates love for others.

Americans don’t need handouts to connect to the infrastructure. Big infrastructure programs demonstrate that Americans will connect themselves to infrastructure when given the opportunity. When allowed to move goods across states, American businesses jump at the chance. When we need flood control for agriculture and resources for national security, Americans are ready. When electricity is available, rural Americans connect themselves to electricity.

Loving each other means promoting the general welfare. Promoting the general welfare means building national infrastructure. National infrastructure includes expanding the infrastructure that is individual capability.

And our final national goal…

Liberty

Our sixth and final national goal is to secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and those who follow.

Liberty is the promise that every American has the right to live freely, to pursue their dreams, and to choose their path. It is the ultimate expression of love and respect for the individual. Liberty is the right to choose. These choices have consequences. Personal choice enables us to grow through personal responsibility. Without liberty, there is no responsibility.

Liberty empowers us to learn from the consequences of our choices, fostering resilience, innovation, and a deeper sense of responsibility.

Individual liberty is the hallmark of America. It’s a foundational concept that represents several rights. The freedom to practice a religion of your choosing, or none at all, is a right of liberty. Freedom of speech and expression is liberty. Freedom to vote is liberty. The list is long.

When we allow some to take liberty from others, we risk losing our own. To preserve our individual liberty, we must protect and fight for the rights of others.

Therefore, it’s the right of Americans to express their liberty and the responsibility of Americans to tolerate others who would express their liberty in a manner we may find objectionable.

Liberty allows for diversity of thought, belief, and action. These are the hallmarks of a thriving society. Liberty is not an excuse for selfishness. It is an opportunity to grow through personal responsibility, to learn from our choices, and to help secure the freedom of others. Loving each other means fighting for liberty—not just for ourselves, but for each other.

The Ties That Bind

These six goals tie together.

There is no union without demonstrated commitment, sacrifice, and willingness to work through differences.

There is no general welfare without the willingness to build infrastructure to expand individual and national capability.

There is no justice without stability and opportunity for Americans from any station of birth to access that infrastructure.

We can’t preserve what individuals and communities can achieve without the tranquility built on order, stability, and mutual respect.

We must protect the union and interests beyond our borders through partnership, engagement, and defense.

These conditions enable a society where Americans can choose their path, note the consequences of their choices, and develop the personal responsibility that leads to individual and community growth. This is liberty.

So…