Guest Column
Celebrating 231 years of the U.S. Constitution
Did you know that Sept. 17-23 is Constitution Week? In 1955, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution petitioned Congress for this week of observance. Public Law 95, celebrating the …
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Guest Column
Celebrating 231 years of the U.S. Constitution
Did you know that Sept. 17-23 is Constitution Week? In 1955, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution petitioned Congress for this week of observance. Public Law 95, celebrating the signing date of the U.S. Constitution, was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. But it wasn’t until 2002, that President George W. Bush officially declared the inception of Constitution Week.
The U.S Constitution is the oldest constitution still in active use in the world today and is the basic document of our republic. It protects the individual liberties of all citizens through written law. Our Constitution is 231 years old this year. American colonists fought, sacrificed, and died to establish and preserve the freedoms now guaranteed to us by the Constitution of the United States. This document is the cornerstone of our freedoms.
The Constitution is fundamentally a public text and is at times obscure with broad phrasing, and the limitations of its provisions are not clear. It is this “personality” that classifies the Constitution as a “living document,” allowing for amendments and judicial interpretations.
Many times Americans believe that sayings and phrases are contained in our Constitution, but they really aren’t. For example, the First Amendment does not include the words “freedom of expression” but over time it has been ruled to include limits to the freedom of speech/press/assembly for defamation, perjury, contempt of court, hate speech, size of public demonstrations, trade secrets, noise pollution, classified information and treason. Did you know that “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal” and “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” are not in the Constitution, but both are in the Declaration of Independence? And lastly, this quote, “Of the people, by the people, for the people” is in neither the Constitution nor the Declaration, but comes from the Gettysburg Address.
How well do you know your rights? Let us celebrate Constitution Week Sept. 17-23 by resolving to be better-informed and responsible citizens. Read the Constitution.
Source: The Elizabeth Denton English Chapter (Mineola), National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
