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| The responsibilities of the America Constitution. |
Sadly, for many of us, the American Constitution is taken for granted. However, it is actually remarkable. When it was written, only a tiny ancient republic had a codified written constitution. Ours was the first of its kind. Today that has changed but we Americans remain unique.
Not only is it the oldest, but it is also unique for such a long success. It has only been amended 27 times, and those amendments protected individual freedoms.
Many nations used our Constitution as a model in drafting their own, although that is less so today.
History records how seriously people in the past took their responsibilities about their vote. Having lived in times when there were no rights for citizens to vote, people of that era cherished their privilege. America finally recognized the right for black men to vote, although they went through challenges for their rights to be recognized. And although it took women a longer time to be granted that right, they did not give up.
As we celebrate our Bicentennial the nation is unsettled, and although it is undeniable that there have been disruptions in the past, the present turmoil is significant. The Constitution has endured in the past because of its flexibility, because the documents can be read by ordinary citizens, and most importantly, Americans have understood the importance of their responsibility to care about all issues, not just those relevant to themselves. Getting out the vote is important but being informed voters is also important. Various researchers have found that between 5 to 37 percent of Americans have read the entire constitution. As for candidates and elected officials, they certainly should be well informed about the Constitution, as well as the issues that will come before them if they are elected. Being informed is important from the bottom to the top, and being responsible once elected is obviously important. Certainly, all of that is demanding, and not every issue can be fully studied. It is easy to think your one vote doesn't make much difference, but without the voters, elected officials get nowhere, or worse they get somewhere the founding fathers never intended.
Without the responsibilities of everyone, the system weakens. We Americans must understand the system, take the time to understand issues, and avoid assuming that political parties are always concerned about the citizens. The supreme court's decision regarding the capacity of money pouring into elections has made it harder for individual voters to feel like they can make a difference, but we do still matter. The better informed we are as citizens, the more officials take notice. The more informed we are, the more attention we receive. Our responsibility is not just voting.
What we can do is talk to our representatives. We can follow the news and not just sources that have a political bias. Remember misdeeds or neglect of officials. If their primary home is far from the state they represent, and they rarely visit their home state, take that into consideration. Do not rely entirely on the party you favor. Your vote is yours, not theirs. When George Washington declined running for a third term, he warned against presidents serving too long. Today presidents can serve only two terms, but Washington also warned against political parties, giving organized political parties more power than the people. That warning has not been adequately respected, and it is up to us to pay attention to the issues that will serve you and protect the constitution.
As we celebrate the Bicentennial, we can wave the flag and cheer the parades if we choose, but it is also a good time for us to read the Constitution. Perhaps it is an opportunity to talk with your children and grandchildren. It might be a good time for all of us to give ourselves a peptalk on the power citizens actually have, and with the power, the responsibility. We can honor the Constitution by remembering that we do make a difference, if we take our role seriously.
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