Today is Constitution Day. The day marking the signing of the Constitution by the delegates. After ratification by the states the Constitution became the supreme law of the land. We became a people governed by principles of law and not the whims of men. We became a nation born of an idea not born of conquest. The idea that all are born with rights; that we are endowed with these rights by our Creator. The Constitution did not give us rights or create new rights. It protected rights. It formed a government that was dedicated to the idea that people could be free and that government existed for the purpose of protecting the rights of citizens. There are many today who think that the Constitution is an old document that has no bearing on the present and can be discarded when new situations arise justifying a new way. This notion is dangerous and foolish. The Constitution is the foundation of our nation. The entire structure of our country is built upon it. It cannot be ignored or neglected without dire consequences. The Constitution must not be removed. It is the guarantee, the promise of freedom. To remove the Constitution is to remove that promise. Those who want to remove it want to remove freedom. They do not want to ignore it or remove it to benefit your liberty. The only cause for its removal is to remove the promise of freedom. It has also been said that the Constitution is a "living document". This theory is also dangerous. Those who state that the document is living only bring it to live so that they may kill it. They want to say that the document is living so that they can say that it, like all living things, is changing. The meanings of its words are said to change with the times. But the Constitution is not a living document. It is a solid granite foundation. It is firm and resistant to the wind of change. It is a protection for truths, liberty and rights.
If the Constitution requires maintenance we can amend it. However, those who find fault with the document refuse the amendment process. They ignore it. They draft new laws knowing that their new laws are unconstitutional. They issue verdicts, judgments and rulings knowing that they have violated our fundamental laws and principles.
We are a free people. To remain so we have to protect what protects our freedom. We have to protect the Constitution. We are all free to think as we like. We are all free to have our own ideas. But not all ideas are equal. Not all ideas are American. We can disagree on questions of policy and procedure. We can disagree on a great many things. But we cannot disagree on the validity and authority of the Constitution. Ideas that undermine the authority of the Constitution are not merely bad ideas; they are un-American. This day comes each year and it is marked in my calendar. It serves as a reminder of my duty to uphold and defend the Constitution. I have taken an oath to do so and I am unaware of any expiration on that oath. The promise to protect the Constitution remains binding on me until my death. I believe that the same is true for everyone that takes that oath, whether a member of the military, a judge, a lawyer or a politician. If you have not take the oath for any of these reasons I would encourage you to take this oath now. You don't need to join the military or get elected to office to make this promise and write it upon the fleshy tablets of your heart. I earnestly pray for your success in keeping this oath and that God may Bless America.
If the Constitution requires maintenance we can amend it. However, those who find fault with the document refuse the amendment process. They ignore it. They draft new laws knowing that their new laws are unconstitutional. They issue verdicts, judgments and rulings knowing that they have violated our fundamental laws and principles.
We are a free people. To remain so we have to protect what protects our freedom. We have to protect the Constitution. We are all free to think as we like. We are all free to have our own ideas. But not all ideas are equal. Not all ideas are American. We can disagree on questions of policy and procedure. We can disagree on a great many things. But we cannot disagree on the validity and authority of the Constitution. Ideas that undermine the authority of the Constitution are not merely bad ideas; they are un-American. This day comes each year and it is marked in my calendar. It serves as a reminder of my duty to uphold and defend the Constitution. I have taken an oath to do so and I am unaware of any expiration on that oath. The promise to protect the Constitution remains binding on me until my death. I believe that the same is true for everyone that takes that oath, whether a member of the military, a judge, a lawyer or a politician. If you have not take the oath for any of these reasons I would encourage you to take this oath now. You don't need to join the military or get elected to office to make this promise and write it upon the fleshy tablets of your heart. I earnestly pray for your success in keeping this oath and that God may Bless America.