President Obama Proclaims National Constitution Day, September 17, 2009
Kicking Off a Week of Constitutional Education
Today is National Constitution Day. It kicks off an entire week dedicated to acknowledging the breadth and scope of the remarkable document that laid the foundation for our democratic republic.
This United State Constitution continues to withstand the test of time and has done so for more than two centuries. Signed in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, this document reflects the core values and principles of our nation as were declared in our Declaration of Independence.
It affirms that we are each endowed with certain unalienable rights and as beneficiaries of those rights, all Americans have a solemn duty to uphold our democratic republic so that it remains vibrant and strong and responsive to the needs of all of our citizens, even the least amongst us.
To succeed in this charge we much assume the responsibility to learn about our country and our Constitutions and to continue to teach young generations about its contents and its history. By continuing to pass on this knowledge from one generation to another, we ensure our continued prosperity and personal freedoms.
Of course then we enter that realm of trying to decipher and clearly interpret the Constitution and its powers to rule over the people of America. Our forefathers did not bequeath us a dead piece of paper, forever static and never changing. They had the wisdom and foresight to understand that times would change and while there were certain undying principles that must be upheld in our democratic republic, there was space and room in the Constitution to allow for societal and cultural changes.
It is then up to us, the people, to use the principles laid forth to maintain the freedoms outlined, but to also change our government and even the Constitution as it becomes necessary to do so. It has happened many times in our history and the procedure continues to be difficult but possible when the weight of our consciences and our society deem it necessary for continued prosperity.
27 times our country has made an adjustment to the Constitution following the rules and methods laid out by our founding fathers, those wise men who knew that change was essential for a thriving, vibrant country. Thank God they knew that. And now it's up to us, each of us to consider how we use this amazing tool that has been bequeathed to us, the Constitution of the United State of America.
Take time this year to make sure they do. You have an entire week devoted to Constitutional study, but I suggest an entire year with a little bit spread throughout. Make sure you bring the language down to their level but explore the Constitution this year. You might even learn something yourself.
Here are some great resources online to begin that study.
http://www.usconstitution.net/
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson347.shtml
Published by Betty Malone
"There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning." - Thornton Wilder This is Betty's daughter. Betty Malone died unexpectedly Tuesday, N... View profile
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15 Comments
Post a CommentThanks for the info, some of which I didn't know! Very interesting!
wow, didn't know this, thank you... :o)
Great reporting!
I hadn't heard of this either, until reading it here.
I hadn't heard about this either until I came across your article.
Sophie
Nice job on this one too.
Very nice job on this. I hadn't heard about this until I read this article.
I agree 100%. To those who scoff at our founders because they did not address the vexing issue of slavery, I say, without the omission of that issue, there would have been no union in the first place. Granted, it meant almost another centruy and a half of a galling institution, our nation was too weak in the 18th century to be anything but united.
Always on the lookout for good resources for school-thanks!
Great job Betty!