The First Obligation of Government is the Safety and Security of its People

Governments are formed to do any number of things from mere defense to the total control of the lives of the people that fall under its jurisdiction.

The government of the United States was formed for the reasons stated in the preamble of the Constitution:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, 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.”

Many of the items in the preamble imply that it was formed for the safety and security of the people that live within its borders.

In fact, the Constitution was written because the legislatures of the 13 colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia to find a solution to the chaos that was developing within each state and between the states under the Articles of Confederation.

The safety and security of the states and the people living in each state was in jeopardy.

At the very beginning of the Constitution, to make the point about providing for the safety and security of the people living with in the United States’ borders, Article One establishes the lawmaking bodies; the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Also, in Article two, the executive branch was formed whose job it is to enforce the laws passed by the House of Representatives, the Senate and signed into law by the president.

In addition to the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence also clearly states that the safety and security of the people under its jurisdiction should be the primary functions of government.

It states in the opening of the second paragraph, that, “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” are the primary goals of humans. 

The order of the words in the phrase are not in suspect.  It is clear, that the authors meant that their lives were of primary importance to them and to their posterity.    

What ever rights are stated in the Constitution or in the Declaration of Independence, from religion, privacy, press, voting and the right to bear arms, the primary function of the government of the United States is to enact laws that protect people from harm.  

The obligation stated in the preamble of the Constitution that the United States government provide for the safety and security of the people, translates to a right of safety and security by the people living under its jurisdiction.

Safety and security are rights greater than any other of the rights, expressed or implied, in the Constitution.