Constitution Day 2009

"Wherever the real power in a Government lies, there is the danger of oppression. In our Governments the real power lies in the majority of the community, and the invasion of private rights is chiefly to be apprehended, not from acts of Government contrary to the sense of its constituents, but from acts in which the Government is the mere instrument of the major number of the Constituents." ~ James Madison

It was on this day in 1787 that the first 39 signatures were placed on the Constitution - the document that became the core of our nation's government.

On December 8, 2004, the Congress of the United States, one branch of the government established by the Constitution, passed a "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005" (118 Stat. 2809, 3344-45), establishing Constitution Day in the United States.

I've previously written about the irony of this day on which Congress mandates that "all federal agencies and schools receiving federal funds hold educational programs pertaining to the Constitution." I guess the Constitutional limits on our federal government don't really apply to the members of Congress who passed this law - and many others.

But it is right and proper that we remember what our Constitution says and be especially vigilant in insisting that our elected officials honor those words and abide by the limits the document places on them.

Perhaps the Tea Parties and 9/12 marches are an indication that the document still holds a place in the hearts of Americans and that those Americans are willing to take the effort and energy to remind our elected officials of that fact. Maybe you'd like to express your support publicly.

If it's been a while since you read it, please take the time to do so now. If you'd like more information, you can visit The Constitution Center, Constitution Facts or Constitution Day.