Safeguard Our Constitution

            The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is the U.S. Constitution. The Articles of Confederation had proven incapable of governing the new American nation, so a group of men met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to revise the document. The men soon determined that it would be better to write a completely new document than to try to amend the original one.

            There was a quorum of men in attendance for the first time on May 25, 1787, and they began drafting a new Constitution. The men worked in secret throughout the hot summer months of 1787. The new document was adopted and signed on September 17, 1787. The ratification process began on that same day and was completed on May 29, 1790. The U.S. Constitution has served the nation well for over 200 years and has been amended only 27 times in those years with the last amendment being made 26 years ago.

            There are increasing numbers of calls for the Constitution to be amended, most notably for the First Amendment and the Second Amendment. Our rights to free speech, press, assembly, religion, and to petition the government are all protected by the First Amendment. The Second Amendment concerns our right to protect ourselves from all enemies, including the government.         

             The calls to change these amendments are serious and dangerous, and they are led by individuals and organizations who do not like our constitutional way of life. Americans must stay alert and not back down in our fight to protect our freedoms and rights. There are many calls now to hinder the Second Amendment because of school massacres. However, the end result is the desire to confiscate all firearms.

            Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying the following statement or a similar version of it: “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

            We must safeguard our freedoms at all costs. Otherwise, they will be taken from us a little at a time until we have none left. We must not be fooled by thinking that we can gain more security by giving up freedom. Our Constitution has protected our nation for more than 200 years. It is certainly capable of protecting us now.