AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
September 15, 2022
Issue
Constitution Day – It’s the Law!
Details
The United States Constitution was signed on this day in 1787. This was our second attempt at a national governing document. The 1777 Articles of Confederation, which went into effect in 1781, quickly proved to be inadequate. In 1786 the Annapolis Convention called for a group to assemble to address the many weaknesses.
After months of sometimes contentious debate, the Constitution was introduced to the citizens of the new nation. Did you know that many of the delegates involved in the writing of the Constitution were trained in theology or ministry? Abraham Baldwin, James Wilson, Hugh Williamson, Oliver Ellsworth are a few examples. The Constitution was then sent to the states for ratification. Among the delegates selected, the states elected about four dozen clergymen to serve in the ratification process for the Constitution.
U.S. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge stated in 1919: “The United States is THE WORLD’S BEST HOPE… Beware how you trifle with your marvelous inheritance … for if we stumble & fall, freedom & civilization everywhere will go down in ruin.”
However, in recent years attacks on our Constitution have increased, as well as the idea that there is any Christian influence on the founding of this nation or the writing of the Constitution.
Late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the Constitution’s age is a mark against it. She believed Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms might be a good place to start if writing a new constitution, as it is “much more recent than the U.S. Constitution. … It dates from 1982.”
Action Steps
Federal law requires that every year on Constitution Day all public schools must hold a special program on the Constitution. Does your child’s school plan on having a program on the Constitution either Friday, September 16th or Monday, September 19th? Sadly, few schools follow this law! Here are some resources you can encourage your child’s teacher to use.
The President is also requested to issue each year a proclamation designating September 17 through September 23 as Constitution Week.
I encourage you to read the Constitution today and take some time this coming week to talk to your children and/or grandchildren about its history and importance.
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