Thank you for returning to Common Sense Civics and Citizenship, where we’ve been thinking about Constitution Day (September 17). I hope Americans never lose sight of the fact that the Constitution remains the “Supreme Law of the Land.” In all the distractions, we still want to remember that We the People run the U. S. government. Its rise and fall depend upon us. Let’s dive in to our first article this week:
Constitution Day, 2022
Do you think that the Constitution applies to all times in the life of American history? Or, should its meaning deviate from the original intent of the Founders and “live and breathe” with changing times in history?
My gut reaction is to recognize that the professors who espouse this idea are academically elite. Are we influenced by their reasoning simply because they are highly educated? The Constitution was written for We the People, not We, the Intelligentsia. The Founders were highly gifted intellectually (among other ways). They crafted a document meant to serve as the organic law of the land. The Founders even provided a way to amend the Constitution, should it be necessary (see Article V).
If the Constitution was meant to change with the times, why did the Founders include their posterity (that is, you and me) in the Preamble? Why would We the People ordain and establish THIS Constitution for the United States of America? Their own words were definitive. Their process for amending was defined:
“(We the People) …secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
What do you think? Should the Constitution be interpreted with original intent? Or should it be a document that changes with the times?
Happy Constitution Day, 2022!
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship.🇺🇸
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