“What kind of government have you given us?”
An American short story says someone asked Ben Franklin in 1787 what kind of government the Constitutional Convention came up with.
“A republic, if you can keep it,” Franklin supposedly replied.
That’s a fine American story that deserves retelling every now and then.
————————————————–
Monday was Constitution Day in the Republic we received from the Founders.
Constitution Day became a national observance in 2004, when Senator Robert Byrd … added the Constitution Day clause to his 2004 federal spending bill because he believed that all citizens should know about their rights as outlined in the Constitution. This clause mandates the teaching of the Constitution in schools that receive federal funds, as well as federal agencies.
I wonder whether this is a law people in schools and federal agencies paid attention to yesterday.
————————————————–
I think the Preamble to the Constitution is especially relevant to homeland security. It offers – in 29 words – a majestic vision of the homeland security mission:
1. Form a more perfect union
2. Establish justice
3. Insure domestic tranquility
4. Provide for the common defense
5. Promote the general welfare
6. Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.
I (unfairly) compare the Preamble to the 32 words of the National Preparedness Goal:
A secure and resilient Nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk.
————————————————–
In honor of Constitution Day, here’s a quiz assessing basic Constitutional knowledge.
1.Where did the Constitutional Convention meet in 1787?
- Boston
- New York
- Philadelphia
- Washington
2. Which of the following isn’t a right guaranteed under the First Amendment?
- Freedom of speech
- Right to bear arms
- Freedom of religion
- Right to petition the government
3. How many amendments were in the ratified Bill of Rights?
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 12
4. What document did the Constitution replace?
- The Articles Of Confederation
- The Bill Of Rights
- The Declaration of Independence
- The Royal Colonial Charter
5. Who wrote the original Bill of Rights and introduced it to Congress?
- Alexander Hamilton
- George Washington
- James Madison
- Thomas Jefferson
6. Who was the first person to sign the Constitution?
- Ben Franklin
- George Washington
- James Madison
- Thomas Jefferson
7. Which series of documents was written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay to convince states to approve the Constitution?
- The Freedom Pamphlets
- Poor Richard’s Almanac
- The Philadelphia Letters
- The Federalist Papers
8. Which of the following doesn’t have an official role in changing or amending the Constitution?
- The House of Representatives
- The President
- The States
- The U.S. Senate
9. When someone “takes the Fifth” amendment, a person is allowed to:
- Use a gun to defend themselves
- Confront their accuser in court
- Refuse to answer questions that incriminate themselves
- Avoid cruel and unusual punishment
10. What is the minimum age for a presidential candidate?
- There is no minimum age
- 25 years of age
- 30 years of age
- 35 years of age
11. What is the longest time a persons can serve as president?
- 4 years
- 8 years
- 10 years
- 12 years
And two fill-in-the-blank bonus questions:
12. Which amendment took the longest to ratify?__________
13. Which Amendment took the shortest amount of time to ratify?__________
Answers later this week.
(If you want a tougher test, go to this link: http://www.constitutionfacts.com/?page=quiz.cfm. Once you pass their 10 question gatekeeper quiz, you gain access to a much tougher 50 question quiz.)
————————
“Right” or “rights” shows up in the Constitution 16 times. “Duty” appears twice — both times about money.
Maybe that’s some Founding Father humor.
Perhaps the imbalance between rights and duties hints at one way we could lose the Republic we were given 225 years ago.
Hope you had a reflective Constitution Day.
