Honoring the Document
Today is Constitution Day…which was established by Congress 20 years ago to recognize this date, September 17, when the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed off on the document that established our federal government.
Seems like a self-evident thing, to take a few minutes on a single day each year to recognize the greatest experiment in representative democracy and the most successful republic ever created. But not, it only made it into law because Sen. Robert Byrd tacked it on to an omnibus spending bill…sort of forcing it through so the government could stay funded.
Ironic that the way we recognized our wonderful form of government was part of a bill demonstrating a failure to pass a budget in time.
By the way, no surprise that Iowa actually helped lead the way on this recognition. Iowa schools first recognized “Constitution Day” in 1911…93 years before the federal government did.
Sadly, this Constitution Day, the one thing that folks on the political extremes can agree on is that the future of the Constitution is under attack…of course, the left says it’s because of the right, while the right says it’s because of those on the left. I say they’re both right.
Because when we use the system meticulously set forth in the Constitution to pit one political faction against another, or one branch of government against another, we simply have no chance. And watch out for those who claim to be the true defenders of the Constitution—often they are the ones most guilty of subverting it for their own cause, but they figure if they claim they are the saviors often enough, you’ll believe them.
I am fond of saying this is the greatest nation God ever blessed. The document signed on this date 237 years ago is evidence of that. And it’s worth not only remembering and honoring, but truly and honestly defending.
