It’s the foundation of all law that we follow as citizens. It’s one piece of paper that has lasted centuries behind plate glass and is only on display in DC. It’s the backbone of all writers and journalists. And yet millions of Americans wouldn’t be able to list off more than a few sparse words of the arguably greatest political document.
Sure, Constitution Day was a month or so ago, but shouldn’t we celebrate the Constitution on a daily basis? This article that was compiled by men who only wanted to make the best of what situation they had at hand is everything that our country stands for and does not receive nearly enough recognition.
Take a second and think of the hit television show “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” Ask any fifth grader to recite the Preamble to the Constitution and you can get the paragraph word for word. Ask an average working adult with a bachelors degree and you might be lucky to get the first few words “We the People” out of his or her mouth.
Walk around FCC and ask a typical student if he or she knows the Bill of Rights, and you might get a response regarding the first Amendment and the freedom of speech. But that’s the vague truth of it all.
The importance of the Amendments needs to be integrated into our school systems. Without knowing the First Amendment, this story would be shot down. By relying on the right to freedom of the press, I’m allowed to speak out freely about this subject. The pilgrims ventured across the Atlantic Ocean to gain religious freedom in 1620. And in 1787 with the adoption of Constitution, their original efforts were set in stone. The First Amendment guarantees the greatest rights that a citizen can practice: the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the freedom of religion.
For something that is so valuable in our ever-changing society, American citizens, as a whole, lack the common knowledge of the founding law of the land. Shouldn’t learning about the Amendments be a required part of the curriculum in elementary schools across America? Sure the document is briefly covered in government classes that high school seniors are required to take before venturing off into the real world, but that’s it. Unless students opt to take any political science classes, learning the Amendments is not really covered ever again.
So what about the people who don’t go to college after high school? What about those who don’t even graduate high school? Shouldn’t learning the Amendments be incorporated into daily life? How else are citizen’s supposed to know the proper use of the term “I plead the fifth”?
Of the 27 Amendments, there are only a few that really pertain to the American population as a whole, not just the people who work for the government. Fourteen of the 27 Amendments affect each citizen on either a daily or annual basis depending on elections. But can the average citizen name all of the ones that mean effect the average Joe? Probably not.
A random unknown fact about the Constitution: the word privacy is nowhere to be found in the document. Yes that’s correct. Technically, we have no right to privacy. But thanks to the Supreme Court, they have recognized it as a basic human right. Plenty of court cases (Griswold v. Connecticut, Lawrence v. Texas) all back the Supreme Courts decision on the issue of privacy.
Facts like the one above are all things that I believe each and every citizen need to know at the drop of a hat. It’s important to realize that everyone has the right to a speedy trial and cannot be tried twice for the same crime. Young Americans should know that up until 1971 a voter had to be 21 to vote. Without the passing of that amendment, there wouldn’t have been such an amazing voter turn out in the 2008 presidential election, where history was made. Without the 26th Amendment, who knows how the voter turnout would have been.
And as college students, I know that there are plenty of people out there who are thankful for the 21st Amendment. Ya, remember that one? It’s the repeal of prohibition, which legalized the manufacturing, distribution, and consumption of alcohol. As pathetic as this may sound, it’s hard to imagine the world without alcohol. Sure, it would eliminate the risk of drunk driving accidents and Alcoholics Anonymous, but college would sure be boring.
For a document that seems to ancient and irrelevant to some, I think that everyone needs to take a greater interest in the document that we still praise today. Thank the Framers for putting long hours and hard work into the Constitution.