Did you know there’s 4,543 words in the Constitution not counting amendments? Or that there were three delegates in Philadelphia who disagreed with the final draft? You probably don’t because, who cares? Information like that is just trivia, it doesn’t lead to a higher understanding or make us better citizens.
Constitution Day would be great if we actually talked about the issues that face our country. It would be a great opportunity to talk about the right to bear arms, the nature of the filibuster, or the power of the president. But Constitution Day isn’t about learning our laws, or appreciating our system of government; Constitution Day is just one more excuse for us to get on our knees and worship the founding fathers.
Can we please stop celebrating ourselves for once, and actually look at our Constitution and those who wrote it? Because the reality of our history doesn’t quite match the myth we’ve created. The founders were a group of men so divinely inspired they were able to create a perfect framework on only their second try! Seriously, for all the credit these guys get for making the Constitution no one seems to care that the Articles of Confederation was a complete joke that fell apart in five years.
There’s nothing wrong with a do-over, if anything we should respect the honesty to look at something you’ve done and accept that it sucks. But why don’t we talk about it? Most Americans think the Constitution was written on the same day as the Declaration of Independence, and we completely ignore the fact that this country has actually had two radically different forms of government. Where’s the Articles of Confederation Day? Isn’t that an important part of this country’s history that’s worth remembering, and daresay celebrating?
But to celebrate the Articles would mean admitting that our history is flawed and incremental; it would mean that our Constitution is not an infallible document that holds the Union together, but rather the best thing they could think of at the time. In reality, the founders disagreed with themselves almost as much as they did with each other; and I’d imagine if they were alive today (not that it matters) they would be very surprised to see we’re still worshipping this largely outdated document.
The U.S. Constitution is the oldest codified constitution still used today; isn’t it amazing that it only needed 27 amendments in its 228 year old existence? No it’s not. This is not a sign of longevity, this is a sign of incompetence; the secret is that the U.S. Constitution is short, vague and incomplete.
So why are we so afraid to update or alter our Constitution? Because we worship it, of course! We’d rather celebrate Constitution Day than practice constitutional democracy; we treat the Constitution as our very own Ten Commandments, rather than a codification of laws that should and must change.
When Americans talk about reform, or improving human rights, it’s always in regards to the Constitution. We won’t change healthcare, guarantee internet access or improve our infrastructure because it isn’t in the Constitution, but why would it be?
The Constitution is written however we want it to be, at the end of the day it’s just a collection of rules that we respect only slightly more than our everyday law.
Imagine the possibilities of a second constitutional convention. Imagine a second bill of rights that protects American’s access to affordable healthcare, that enshrines net neutrality into law and promotes equal rights throughout the land. Instead of looking at a 228-year-old document for every problem we face and every solution we need, let’s embrace the future and start thinking for ourselves.
-By Greg Horner.