It is arguably the three most powerful words in history, “we the people.” Our country’s founders, 235 years ago, came to Philadelphia and ratified the Constitution of the United States of America, and their actions changed the course of the history of human civilization: Government would now be held accountable to the people. This day, on Sept. 17, we celebrate Constitution Day in honor of the greatest document the world has seen dedicated to individual freedom.
The Constitution is the world’s shortest, with only 4,543 words, each protecting from authoritarianism by the government. With its unique system of federalism, it was written not to limit the people’s rights but to protect those of the states and the individual. It was predicated on the belief that the government’s authority was founded, to quote Abraham Lincoln, “by the people, for the people.”
After living under an oppressive monarchy, our founders yearned for freedom. They wanted to design a government that gave power to the people. It’s the brilliance of the Constitution. It is a document that changed the dynamic of governments known to the world at the time.
It emphasized liberty and freedom and that true governmental authority comes from those who are governed. A core tenet of the Constitution is that government is beholden to the people’s needs, and if the government doesn’t uphold these promises, the people have a right to change it, through elections, to form “a more perfect union.”
Now, many take the freedoms espoused in the Constitution for granted. This privilege comes from a fundamental lack of an understanding of history while living in a society that has never experienced oppression from tyranny and totalitarianism. They enjoy the Constitution’s liberties but ignore the sacrifices of our founders and what they endured. Instead, they routinely criticize them while enjoying the fruits of their labor.
But, ultimately, that’s what our founders wanted — the freedom to feel however they liked about the government. This is why the Constitution is so important and must be celebrated. Our founders, and the generations that followed, knew that liberty was an essential principle and it must be protected at all costs.
America’s Constitution is now the oldest governing document in the world. While most constitutions last an average of 17 years, ours has lasted 235 years. It’s been challenged and tested, it’s been criticized and condemned, but through it all, it has lasted, amending with generations to ensure “domestic tranquility.”
Today, let us all celebrate Sept. 17 — a date that changed human civilization. It ensured “we the people” became synonymous with liberty, tantamount to freedom, and let the world know that government was designed to serve the people. Sept. 17 is Constitution Day, now and forever.
