Dear Reader,
Many people have wondered why I've been speaking out on controversial
issues for the last few years. They say I've never held political
office. I'm not a constitutional scholar. I'm not even a lawyer. All I
can say to that is "Guilty as charged."
It's true that I've never voted for a budget America could not afford.
I've never raised anyone's taxes. And I've never promised a lobbyist
anything in exchange for a donation.
Luckily, none of that really matters. Our founding fathers didn't want a
permanent governing class of professional politicians. They wanted a
republic, in Lincoln's words, "of the people, by the people, and for the
people." A country where any farmer, small-business owner, manual
laborer, or doctor could speak up and make a difference.
I believe that making a difference starts with understanding our amazing
founding document, the U.S. Constitution. And as someone who has
performed brain surgery thousands of times, I can assure you that the
Constitution isn't brain surgery.
The founders wrote it for ordinary men and women, in clear, precise,
simple language. They intentionally made it short enough to read in a
single sitting and to carry in your pocket.
I wrote this book to encourage every citizen to read and think about the
Constitution, and to help defend it from those who misinterpret and
undermine it. In our age of political correctness it's especially
important to defend the Bill of Rights, which guarantees our freedom to
speak, bear arms, practice our religion, and much more.
The Constitution isn't history--it's about your life in America today.
And defending it is about what kind of country our children and
grandchildren will inherit.
I hope you'll enjoy learning about the fascinating ways that the
founders established the greatest democracy in history--and the ways
that recent presidents, congresses, and courts have threatened that
democracy.
As the Preamble says, the purpose of the Constitution is to create a
more perfect union. My goal is to empower you to help protect that union
and secure the blessings of liberty.
Sincerely,
Ben Carson
