There’s
plenty of federal holidays for Americans to celebrate. On July 4th,
there’s independence from King George’s England. On the
first Monday in September, a holiday was dedicated to the “social
and economic achievements of American workers.” Other days
throughout the year celebrate autumn harvest, soldiers who died
in the civil war and even a person who sailed to this continent
nearly three centuries before the country was “founded.”
When there’s
no federally-sanctioned holiday to call upon, protesters and activists
across the political spectrum often pick “important” dates
to schedule events to bring attention to their cause. We’ve
seen protests on Tax Day, Independence Day, May Day, Earth Day,
and more. And, just last week, we saw great importance placed on
a day that doesn’t even have a letter in its name, 9/12.
But nowhere
to be found on these great lists of “federal holidays”
or “protest days” is a celebration of the document that
defined the principles of liberty that this country was supposedly
founded upon – the Constitution.
LIMITING
POWER
The Constitution
was signed on September 17, 1787, and every year that date passes
by with hardly a sound. Sure, now that it’s considered a day
of “federal observance” you’ll find government schools
around the country including it in their lesson plans. But these
discussions generally focus on “Constitution Trivia” instead
of what’s really important. While it may be good to educate
our young on how many years a Senator serves, or how Supreme Court
justices are appointed, it’s not enough. Seriously lacking
in the public discourse is the actual purpose of the Constitution
– its
underlying principles.
When the Constitution
was being considered for ratification, there was strong opposition
from famous American figures that included George Mason and Patrick
Henry. One major reason for this was a fear of too much power. The
founding generation spent their lives toiling under a tyranny – a government without limits. But, when the Constitution was written,
it was done to codify in law that the powers of government would
be limited to those which had been delegated to it. The entire system
was created under the principle of popular sovereignty – that ‘We
the People of the Several States’ created the government, and
all powers not delegated to it, were retained.
But that’s
not something you’re likely to hear from politicians in Washington
DC, political pundits, schools, or just about anywhere else. It’s
generally not in their interest, either. If politicians and their
backers were promoting such crazy ideas as “originalism”
and “limited government” they’d never be able to
convince you that they have the power to tell you what kind of health
care plan you’ll be getting, how big your toilet can be, what
kind of plants you’re allowed to grow, where you’re allowed
to exercise your “right” to free speech, whom you can
buy and sell from, and even when you must send your children to
die for them.
