Happy Constitution Day!

What? You didn't know it was United States Constitution Day? Well it is. On September 17, 1787 delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the United States Constitution. If you are in a government school, you should be aware of this:

Public Law 108–447, 118 Stat. 2809, 3344–45, Division J, Section 111 (b)
“each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution.”

Since the 17th is on a Saturday, each educational institution has a choice whether to celebrate on the Friday before or the Monday after. And just about every institution in the U.S. receives federal funds -- even private colleges get money in the form of federally-backed loans.

So let's have fun on this Constitution Day, 2005. I'm thinking of having cake and ice cream at the end.

James Madison is the one who is given the most credit as the author of the Constitution. Here is a 3-minute biography of James Madison. Madison really understood human nature. He realized that people would tend to form groups to oppose one another. He knew that if they could create a system of government that worked with these groups, placing them against each other, the system would survive. That's the idea behind the separation of powers and limited government.

Place three individuals in a situation wherein the interest of each depends on the voice of the others, and give two of them an interest opposed to the rights of the third. Will the latter be secure? The prudence of every man would shun the danger. The rules & forms of justice suppose and guard against it. Will two thousand in a like situation be less likely to encroach on the rights of one thousand?

Posted by: Ogre at 07:02 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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