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Joe the Patriot

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Our man, Joe the Plumber, is appearing at tea party events today. Setting aside the semantics—the Signers of the Declaration were rebels, not patriots—Wurzelbacher honors their legacy:

Joe the Plumber said the best advice he can give to citizens who are frustrated with intrusive government is to stop voting along party lines and begin electing leaders who will abide by the nation's founding document.

"Learn the Constitution," he said. "Then when someone wants to be elected, hold their feet to the fire and make them follow it because that's what we need to get back to. It works so well when we follow it. Forget party politics. Learn the Constitution and vote the best American in, not the best Democrat or Republican."

Wurzelbacher said Americans must remind politicians that they "work for us."

"That's my whole goal," he said. "I'm just trying to remind people that we are in charge of our government. I stay away from the Left or Right and ask people to leave party politics at the door and be an American first."

I will quibble on the object of allegiance. There is respect due to the United States as an entity, and that’s where we focus our modern patriotism. We are Americans. This was not the case in 1776.

The Signers were not USA-Americans, as the Constitution had not yet been drafted. They were Virginians and New Yorkers and Georgians. There were thirteen free and independent States created on July 4th, 1776. Thus, I am today a Minnesotan as much as I am an American.

Joe is spot on about the Constitution. It grants only limited, enumerated powers, knowledge of which would makes us all greater patriots, better Americans, and freer souls.

There is no national holiday observance of the ratification of the Constitution. I accept the conflated celebration of our independence and the actual founding of the USA. It suits me that we honor our more perfect Union on the date of our rebellion.