Frank Robert “Bob” Serrao has spanned the English language gap of 235 years with his 56 page booklet WE THE PEOPLE, The Declaration & Constitution in Today’s English.
From my understanding of your love for America, I believe I can confidently say that we stand together on the pillars of freedom, liberty and justice set forth in the Declaration and U.S. Constitution. We have been blessed by divine Providence to live in the greatest country in the world…America.In many ways, my story is much like that of other Americans. In earlier years, I am a father given to provide basic necessities for my family. But, now as I scan the political landscape, I find myself in a battle for truth and freedom. I’m fully engaged in damage control of a nation under assault by socialism and led astray by a feckless leadership on Capitol Hill. And, I am happy to stand should-to-shoulder with you in this struggle.If you will allow…the following part of my story is truly unique…My fight to ‘right my country’ begins after receiving a copy of the US Constitution early, 2009. I am so eager to have this copy that can hardly wait to get home to read it. It feels like reuniting with a long, lost friend. I eagerly begin to consume it.Surprisingly, things quickly take a turn…and for the best, I believe (though at the time I did not think so). My enthusiasm is dampened by the antiquated language of Old English. It’s like an irresistible force meeting an immovable object. Words and phrases in the Declaration and Constitution stop me dead in my tracks. Am I reading Shakespeare? --- Perfidy, redress, injuries, consanguinity, welfare, capitation, usurpations, emoluments, Marque and Reprisal, Bill of Attainder, Attainder of Treason, Corruption of Blood, Assent to Laws, natural born. Even with a Master’s Degree in Education I’m puzzled to ask, what do all these mean?So, my journey extends with long hours of painful, exhaustive book study. First, the Declaration; then, the Constitution. I read and re-read these documents, cross-referencing identical words as they repeat themselves. Then, I seek to define each antiquated word with Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary of the English Language, applying the same meaning to every other instance it is used throughout the documents. One-by-one the words and phrases become defined. Perfidy means treachery; redress, correction; welfare, well-being; usurpation, bullish intrusion; consanguinity, kindred spirit; Marque and Reprisal, Capture and Revenge; Bill of Attainder, Declaration of Guilt, etc. Internet reference studies prove convenient and vital. Slowly but surely I’m starting to get it. Happily, my passion for these monumental documents is revived by my increased understanding.However, the Constitution poses the greater challenge. It not only requires a definition of terms, but an understanding of the American history couching them. Clause-by-clause, I study it indepth. The Honorable Edwin Meece’s Heritage Guide to the Constitution is fortified with studies in Black’s Law Dictionary, and Sir William Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England. I have come to a profound respect for these works and those who seek to reveal the Framers’ intent. The months to follow were pure drudgeryI begin the slow task of writing the first draft. Granted, it is rough…almost patchwork…but the rewards of providing a prototype is now the irresistible force. This art of word-smithing requires the blending of intent, meaning and readability. In the writing process, I must be extremely careful that the old English (source language) equals the modern English (target language). Otherwise, there would be neither integrity nor subsequent validity. This would be a tragedy, for these documents record America’s fight for liberty and codify a nation’s laws containing the privileges and protections of every American citizen. The project must not falter.Syntax (sentence structure) proves to be a formidable hurdle. As you know, the syntax of the Constitution is cumbersome, even exhausting in spots. Threads of thought are lengthy, finding their way back to antecedents long forgotten. Moreover, the spelling, capitalization and punctuation are not uniform. Yet, with the greatest economy of words, the Framers present to us the Constitution on only four pages of hand-written parchment. So, I strive to convey the meaning as economically as they.Drawing from my previous endeavors at paraphrasing the Ephesians and James letters (New Testament), I begin final paraphrasing of our Charter Documents. After many revisions, I can see that a smooth, easy-to-understand rendering of equivalent thought and intent is now viable. The words begin to flow...not too different, but different enough to hurdle the language obstacles. “When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one People to sever the political bonds that have tied them to another….” Page-by-page, the project takes on a beauty of its own, yielding an easy-to-understand rendering.I must bear in mind that both Charter Documents are legal in nature. The Declaration opens the curtain on a judicial court scene. At times, I can imagine the rap of the judge’s gavel. The plaintiffs are the colonists; the defendants, England’s King; the jury, a reasonable world; the judge, The Supreme Judge of the World. The Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land, so the “shall” and “shall have” require the reference point of a document with a future empowerment. The legal is clear. Therefore, the rephrasing of these legal documents requires a formal equivalence rather than the looser, dynamic equivalence. With a final spell-checking and punctuation-smoothing, the finished work stands vindicated…in today’s English.It would be honest to say that throughout this journey, I wonder how this paraphrase might benefit others. So, at the appropriate time, I seek several publishers, submitting the entire text for their publication and marketing. But, there is no response from a half dozen publishers. I’m puzzled at this, because this modern rendering would certainly stimulate public interest, enhance understanding and broaden readership. Is it my audacity or their lack of vision that brings no response? Consider for a moment that many ancient secular and sacred writings underwent translation. As examples, Hebrew Scriptures were rendered into Greek (3rd Century BC); Greek and Hebrew into Latin (4th Century AD); Latin into King James Bible (1611 AD) and countless paraphrases since 1960. Yes, each endeavor met with its naysayers, but one thing is clear throughout history: communication is best served in the language of the day. This is why I firmly believe that a modern paraphrase of our founding documents is long overdue. Now, at this point I determine that if it is going to be published, it will have to be self-published. So, in the Fall of 2010 I copyright the book and employ my computer skills to format the text for printing. Employing a local printer, 1200 copies comprised the first printing which is exhausted in 6 weeks partially due to a front page feature of the Orange County Register, 22DEC10. This requires a second printing of 1400 now being distributing. I have one radio interview, Issues In Education, 19FEB11. Calvary Chapel Bookstore carries it, and many political action committees now allow its sale.What will this book do for its readers? Well, for one thing, it clearly underscores one’s incalculable worth as Providence bestows it. For another, it clearly outlines the designated powers that We The People grant to the federal government. Furthermore, it describes the citizen’s inalienable and civil rights, including the citizen’s protections against infringing government. Finally, it does all this in today’s English.
