President Barack Obama & the Constitution

Professor Dan Stroud brought to class an audio of President Barack Obama discussing the U. S. Constitution. We heard President Obama remind us listeners that he had taught Constitutional Law. Two of Mr. Obama's words resonated in my mind:

• Trust, and
• Empathy.

My cynicism about the American political process — "Tweedlism" — derives from my sense that both trust and empathy are in short supply. I've often felt that both these qualities are also in short supply among us Americans. If so, then maybe we have a government that reflects our shortcomings and that we truly deserve.
I was pleased to hear Mr. Obama portray our Constitution as,

". . . a conversation to be had. How we organize the way we engage each other — by persuasion rather than coercion."