Friday, September 17, 2010

E Plebnista...

On this day in 1787, the Constitution was signed by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

One wonders if any of the original signers would even recognize the country as she stands today. To be fair, we've made some impressive strides since then - ending the shame of slavery, universal suffrage, civil rights advances, and such - but I'd wager that the sheer loss of freedom and overreaching bureaucracy would leave most of the Founding Fathers shaking their heads either in sadness, or in anger. They fought a bloody war to free America the beautiful from a tyrant, only to see it draped in golden chains of their own forging.

Please take a moment today to read the Constitution - or, even better, read it to a child. Take a moment to explain the freedoms enumerated therein - and get angry at the ways we've allowed those freedoms to be encroached, marginalized, or in some cases disallowed. Perhaps most importantly, ponder the ways in which we can turn the tide of these infringements. Start your own blog. Find your voice. Take a new shooter to the range. Exercise some of the freedoms that we, by virtue of birth, enjoy as Americans - before they're regulated and/or taxed out of existence.

And on a side note, this is the 223rd anniversary of the signing...

That is all.

UPDATE: In comments, Scott posted this link to the Heritage Foundation where you can request a free "Pocket Constitution." Thanks Scott!

10 comments:

wolfwalker said...

The ubergeeky choice of title has been noted for the record...

Scott McCray said...

I carry a copy in my laptop computer backpack...excellent for those "Just what do you think this Amendment means - and why?" discussions.

Butch Cassidy said...

Scott-

I bought my wife a pocket copy of the constitution that also came with the Articles of Confederacy and the Declaration of Independence. It lives in her school backpack for the same reason as yours. Some people find it odd that she does so, but a few professors and several students think it is a neat idea.

I guess I'll grab my old "Binding, what binding?" copy and do a bit of reading.

Scott McCray said...

Heritage Foundation will send you a free pocket copy - they ask for a donation at the same time, but they don't constantly dun you for more money like some other organizations do. ;^)

Alan said...

You're gonna get in trouble for saying those words.

Scott McCray said...

Heritage Foundation Linky

Jake (formerly Riposte3) said...

I made a simple Pocket Constitution app for WebOS for myself several months ago. I really need to look at making it publicly available.

Stretch said...

Extra points for ST geekery.
Also have pocket copy to point out "No, that's NOT what they're allowed to do."

SCI-FI said...

The Yangs and the Kohms approve of this post. Captain Tracey, however...

Bruce said...

For a plain English translation which is amusing and informative, see this from H.L.Mencken written in 1921:
http://www.io.com/gibbonsb/mencken/declaration.html