How did the Constitution get written?
Posted by richrobinson 10 years ago to The Gulch: General
The Constitution is an amazing document. It has survived a Civil War, two World Wars, recessions, a depression and countless politicians holding offices they were not qualified to hold. I still wonder sometimes how it ever got written in the first place. First, I wonder what it would look like if our current Congress wrote it? How long would that document be? Then I think of how the Founding Fathers were men of great intellect which in many ways must have made the task even harder. These were men of great intellect who had strong ideas and opinions and the ability to debate and defend their ideas. If Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison took three different positions on a subject how could I possibly figure out who I would support? Ultimately I think it must have come down to two things. They all had a mutual respect and affection for one another and the task at hand was so important that they would not allow themselves to fail. All the more reason the Constitution needs to be defended and protected and it's why I am so offended when anyone belittles or disrespects it. Just something I ponder when I let my mind out to wander.
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It would probably be a lot like the way current "American History" is taught, from what I read and have heard from friends with kids in high school: most of it's content is about the bad, nasty things old white men have done since the US was founded...
And some parts, yeah, actually unwritten....
I fear it would turn out a lot like "The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms", which I only found out about recently in a discussion with a close Canadian acquaintance. My first surprise is that it is a relatively recent document, formulated in the Trudeau years and passed in 1982. It "supplements" their original Constitution Act of 1867. My friend, admittedly quite liberal, described it proudly as an "ever-changing document" which can be amended and override both Federal and Provincial laws by not only their Supreme Court, but lower level courts, also. Ouch.
In what way is that a government limited by principles? I certainly hope we never go down that path....
But yes, sadly I doubt that's done anymore.
'T commemorate the September 17, 1787 signing of the Constitution of the United States, Congress has designated September 17-23 of each year as CONSTITUTION WEEK.
In 2004 Public Law 108-447, Section 111 was passed requiring the following:
"Each education institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution.
"each Federal agency or department shall provide education and training material concerning the United States Constitution to each employee...on September 17 of each year."
Has this ever been done in your child's school?
Students time is all booked up with (fill in the blank) culture and other remedial studies!
What you've written is very true, but the opposite is equally true. The evidence of this is witness how over these last years our Constitution has been unwritten!