作者强•卡尔森( Jon Carson) 2013年1月12日 The White House

美国国家统一
强•卡尔森

感谢您使用白宫在线请愿平台参与政府事务。

对于一个拥有3亿公民的国家，民主常常充满噪音和争议，更何况每个公民都有着自己的信条。不过，这是好事。自由而开放的辩论是保证这个国家运转的条件之一，世界上有许多人都在为争取我国公民视若平常的民主权利而浴血奋斗。

可是，如果我们要进行有益的辩论，这种辩论首先不能撕裂我们之间的联系。

美国国父创建了美国宪法，通过艰苦卓绝的自治精神“组成更加完美的联邦”。他们在宪法文件中保护了人民通过投票变更全国政府的权利——这是世世代代美国人努力捍卫的一项权利。但是，美国国父并没有提出脱离美利坚联邦的权利。正如林肯总统在1861年的任职演说中所言：“鉴于普世法律与本国宪法，合众国是永恒的。”随后几年，超过60万美国人在残酷的内战中献出了宝贵生命。南北战争违背了宪法要求各州永久结合的规定。内战结束不久，最高法院再度发文加以肯定：“本国宪法的所有条款，均以不可撼动的各州组成不可撼动的合众国为准。”

国父们创立了一个永久性的合众国，还提出组建一个林肯总统所归纳的“民有、民治、民享”的政府——这里的“民”包括所有公民。参与、联系政府工作是我国民主的基石。每一位希望参与政府事务的美国公民都有理由要求政府机制透明、回应及时。奥巴马政府已经创造了一系列新的手段和渠道，来维护民众与白宫的联系。实际上，您提交请愿的“我们是人民”网络平台是我们与批评者沟通的直接渠道。

所以，我们把话挑明：我国毋庸置疑面临着重大挑战，总统大选后紧接着又有各种辩论。奥巴马总统在连任成功当晚曾说过：“为什么我们激烈争斗，因为我们对这个国家爱得深沉，对国家未来充满冀望。”

无论是改善经济、削减国债还是保卫国土安全，我们都需要合作、互相倾听对方的声音，以找到最好的途径。希望您花几分钟学习一下总统的执政理念，并发表您的意见。

Our States Remain United

By Jon Carson

Thank you for using the White House's online petitions platform to participate in your government.

In a nation of 300 million people -- each with their own set of deeply-held beliefs -- democracy can be noisy and controversial. And that's a good thing. Free and open debate is what makes this country work, and many people around the world risk their lives every day for the liberties we often take for granted.

But as much as we value a healthy debate, we don't let that debate tear us apart.

Our founding fathers established the Constitution of the United States "in order to form a more perfect union" through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self-government. They enshrined in that document the right to change our national government through the power of the ballot -- a right that generations of Americans have fought to secure for all. But they did not provide a right to walk away from it. As President Abraham Lincoln explained in his first inaugural address in 1861, "in contemplation of universal law and of the Constitution the Union of these States is perpetual." In the years that followed, more than 600,000 Americans died in a long and bloody civil war that vindicated the principle that the Constitution establishes a permanent union between the States. And shortly after the Civil War ended, the Supreme Court confirmed that "[t]he Constitution, in all its provisions, looks to an indestructible Union composed of indestructible States."

Although the founders established a perpetual union, they also provided for a government that is, as President Lincoln would later describe it, "of the people, by the people, and for the people" -- all of the people. Participation in, and engagement with, government is the cornerstone of our democracy. And because every American who wants to participate deserves a government that is accessible and responsive, the Obama Administration has created a host of new tools and channels to connect concerned citizens with White House. In fact, one of the most exciting aspects of the We the People platform is a chance to engage directly with our most outspoken critics.

So let's be clear: No one disputes that our country faces big challenges, and the recent election followed a vigorous debate about how they should be addressed. As President Obama said the night he won re-election, "We may have battled fiercely, but it's only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future."

Whether it's figuring out how to strengthen our economy, reduce our deficit in a responsible way, or protect our country, we will need to work together -- and hear from one another -- in order to find the best way to move forward. I hope you'll take a few minutes to learn more about the President's ideasand share more of your own.

Jon Carson is Director of the Office of Public Engagement