Constitution Day 2011

"We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution." ~ Abraham Lincoln

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

"The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending against all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks." ~ Samuel Adams

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.

"Do not separate text from historical background. If you do, you will have perverted and subverted the Constitution, which can only end in a distorted, bastardized form of illegitimate government." ~ James Madison

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.

"The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself." ~ Benjamin Franklin

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.

"To live under the American Constitution is the greatest political privilege that was ever accorded to the human race." ~ Calvin Coolidge

If it's been a while since you read it, please take the time to do so now. Know what it says, what it does in terms of granting only limited powers to our federal government and pay attention to what our elected officials are saying and doing when it comes to carrying out those 'limited' tasks. And when they exceed the authority of the Constitution, hold them accountable.

"I will always vote what I have promised, and always vote the Constitution..." ~ Ron Paul

If you'd like more information, you can visit The Constitution Center, Constitution Facts or Constitution Day.

"The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon." ~ George Washington