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By
Diane Forrest
While
I was growing up Saturday mornings were filled with great cartoons. Between the cartoons was a type of
infomercial, called school house rock.
They weren't selling anything, just trying to teach kids some important
things, like grammar and history. I
remember songs like "Lolly lolly get your adverbs here" and
"Conjunction Junction what's your function?" There was another one about the Constitution,
and one about how laws are made. I will
now (before your very eyes) attempt to remember the Preamble to the
Constitution from the song.
We the people, in order to form a more
perfect union, establish justice ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the
common defense, 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!
I
remember a scene from the movie, Protocol, where Goldie Hawn plays a
woman who gets shot while jumping in front of a bullet meant for a visiting
diplomat. To thank her for her service,
she was hired by the government agency of Protocol, and one of her duties was
to take the wives of visiting diplomats on a tour of some of the famous
Washington sites. One of the places they
visited was the original constitution, where she read to the guests the first
parts of the constitution. These words
really inspired her and later she used the same words to get out of a jam, and
then run for office herself.
There
was another movie, National Treasure with Nicolas Cage, where there was a treasure
map encoded on the back of the constitution, and they had to steal it in order
to protect it from other theives. Cage's
character also became emotional with the original document in his hands, and
the historical significance of it.
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These
ideas were written and decided on by a group of our founding fathers. It was clearly thought about intently, and
their message and ideas are still intact today, over 200 years ago. Since then, there have been some amendments
added to the constitution; one of them is the 14th amendment which discusses citizenship. The wording is listed below:
Section 1 -
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the
jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State
wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge
the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any
State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of
law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the
laws.
Section 2 -
Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to
their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State,
excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the
choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States,
Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or
the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male
inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the
United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion,
or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the
proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole
number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.
Section 3 -
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of
President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United
States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member
of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State
legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support
the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or
rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But
Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Section 4 -
The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law,
including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in
suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the
United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred
in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for
the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and
claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section 5 -
The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the
provisions of this article.
There
has been alot mentioned about Citizenship lately, and the number of illegal
people in the country. In fact, it is
one of the issues mentioned in the election campaigns for President. People are
angered because the people who are here illegally are receiving benefits of
legal residents. It is a question of
fairness and the law.
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This
week we are celebrating the Constitution and Citizenship. Constitution Day and
Citizenship Day is a combined event that is annually observed in the United
States on September 17. This event commemorates the formation and signing of
the Constitution of the United States on September 17, 1787. It also recognizes
all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become US citizens. Various civil and educational authorities and
individuals throughout the United States observe Constitution Day and
Citizenship Day through a range of events and activities each year. For
example, the Center for Civic Education provides lesson topics on Constitution
Day and Citizenship Day for students at different levels. The US Department of
Education provides various resources on the event as the department is
responsible for implementing Constitution Day legislated mandates. Among these
is the requirement for educational institutions that receive federal funds to
hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17
each year. To show your pride for this
country, hang your flag high to show your spirit.
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