Constitution Day

The National Holiday amazingly not celebrated with attached laws the government brazenly violates with impunity.

Photo by Miguel Ángel Sanz on Unsplash

When I flip over the calendar to a new month, I always look whose birthdays are coming up, are there any scheduled appointments, and any holidays. In September, I found Labor Day, Patriots Day and Grandparents Day. September 17, arguably one of THE most important days in human history was blank, except for my stepdaughter's birthday, which she would probably insist is the reason for its importance. She also happened to be born in 1976, the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Were you aware September 17th is the 235th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States of America?

The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union were ratified March 1, 1781.

Under these articles, the states remained sovereign and independent, with Congress serving as the last resort on appeal of disputes. Significantly, The Articles of Confederation named the new nation “The United States of America.” Congress was given the authority to make treaties and alliances, maintain armed forces and coin money. However, the central government lacked the ability to levy taxes and regulate commerce, issues that led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 for the creation of new federal laws under The United States Constitution.

Courtesy The Almanack.com

The Constitutional Convention started May 25, 1787, in hot and humid Philadelphia. Windows open at the mercy of the insects. Benjamin Franklin in such poor health he had to be carried to and from Independence Hall. The Convention opened with George Washington easily being elected president of the Convention. James Madison was a guiding force with James Wilson and Gouverneur Morris working with him. About four weeks in, progress all but stopped. Benjamin Franklin on June 28, 1787, offered a solution with this famous speech:

Mr. President:

The small progress we have made after 4 or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other -- our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution now no longer exist. And we have viewed Modern States all round Europe, but find none of their  Constitutions suitable to our circumstances.

In this situation of this Assembly groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine Protection. -- Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance.

I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth -- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without [H]is notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without [H]is aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that "except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without [H]is concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall be become a reproach and a bye word down to future age. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move -- that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service.

And the whole mood changed.

In 1940, Congress and President Roosevelt passed a resolution creating “I Am an American Day,” observed on the third Sunday in May. In 1952 under President Eisenhower, the holiday was renamed to “Constitution Day” and moved to September 17, the day in 1787 that the Constitution was signed. In 2004, Congress once again changed the name of the holiday to Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.

The law establishing the present holiday was created with the passage of an amendment by West Virginia Democrat Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus spending bill of 2004. He was quite a contradictory character. In his younger days he brought the KKK to West Virginia and was probably a lifelong member. He was also an adamant defender of the Constitution, carried a copy of it in his shirt pocket and frequently used it while on the Senate floor as a guide. He pointed out violations of it by Democrats or Republicans.

Public Law 108-447, Section 111 requires: "Each educational 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 students served by the educational institution. ...each Federal agency or department shall provide educational and training materials concerning the United States Constitution to each employee, on September 17 of each year."

The intent was that children learn the history and content of the Constitution they have inherited so they know without a doubt whether or not their public servants are following it and know the letter of the law that they pledge to uphold and defend. If your children attend a Federally funded school, did they ever learn about the Constitution? If you are in a federal agency or department, were you ever given educational materials and training? This is a federal law we are talking about!

The Constitution does not give us our rights and liberties. It only guarantees them. "We the People" had all our rights and liberties BEFORE we made the Constitution! The Constitution was formed, among other purposes, to make the people's liberties secure. Not only as against foreign attack, but against oppression by their own government. It sets specific limits on the national government and upon the states and reserves to themselves all powers they did not grant. The Ninth Amendment declares: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." The Tenth Amendment states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but THEY MEAN TO GOVERN. They promise to be good masters, but THEY MEAN TO BE MASTERS. - Daniel Webster

Will you observe this momentous day? If you are a federal employee, you are to be supplied with information and instruction on the Constitution as per federal law. If you are a student attending a school or college receiving Federal Funding, you are to be properly instructed. If not, why?

Incidentally, a college student, Robert Van Tuinen was passing out free copies of the Constitution since his federally funded university was not giving instruction as per federal law and was ORDERED to stop! He eventually won a lawsuit for his First Amendment Rights being violated.

In recent surveys, 70% of Americans have never read or have no idea of what is written in the Constitution. Consequently, 19% don't think democracy is the best form of government, 29% think it a nuisance for the chief executive, (President), to have to campaign for election, and 49% don't think elections are necessary at all, just hire "experts" to take care of things. (Who exactly is supposed to hire these "experts" they didn't say.) Most disturbingly, when college students were asked if they would give up their Constitutional rights for a free education, MOST AGREED!

This concern that Americans know and understand the Constitution is not new. In 1828, Arthur J. Stansbury:

Author, born in New York city in 1781; died about 1845. He was graduated at Columbia in 1799 and licensed to preach in 1810. Besides contributing to periodicals, he published several sermons and addresses, and was the author of "Elementary Catechism on the Constitution of the United States" (Boston, 1828) and a "Report of the Trial of Judge James H. Peck, or an impeachment by the House of Representatives of the United States" (1833). His reports of the debates in congress for twenty years are embodied in Joseph Gales's and William W. Seaton's " Register of Debates" (14 vols., Washington, 1825-'37). He also wrote and illustrated books for children.

"The Catechism on the Constitution of the United States” is a book geared toward young people consisting of 333 questions and answers concerning government, the United States, its history, and a detailed explanation of the Constitution. It is very straightforward and uncomplicated, and I highly recommend it for any adult or as a gift to your child or grandchild. It is not a long or hard read. The love and veneration of the Constitution are clearly evident. From question 33, "Let every American learn, from his earliest years, to love, cherish and obey the Constitution. Without this he can neither be a great or a good citizen; without this his name will never be engraved with honor in the pages of our history, nor transmitted, like that of Washington, with praises and blessings to a late posterity." 

I hope by now I have made my point of the absolute importance of your knowledge of the Constitution, that you make sure your children learn it, and that our public servants know it, and the penalties it provides for their disregard of it.

So happy Constitution Day! Celebrate the document and the genius that created it! That even though there is daily encroachment on it, it still is the line the government "We the People" created is forbidden to cross.

If you know any immigrants who came here the RIGHT way and became a citizen, congratulate and thank them for doing it the right way and not just sneaking in for the goodies.

If you are a federal employee, elucidate your supervisor how they are violating Public Law 108-447, Section 111. Where is your copy of the Constitution or the training mandated by law?

If you are a student, ask your principal the specifics of the Constitutional training program you are to be given mandated by law.

If you are a college student, ask the dean for the specifics of the Constitutional training you are to be receiving as per Public Law 108-447, Section 111

Or just piss em off and pass out some copies of Constitutions as you wish everyone Happy Constitution Day!