To the editor: Happy Constitution Week! This yearly celebration honors the world’s longest surviving written charter of government…our U.S. Constitution. And, this year, this magnificent document turns 235 years old.
I hope that each person who reads this will take a moment to reflect on (and read) the document that sets the parameters for the fundamental law of our government. Sadly, a poll in 2019 found that 57 percent of Americans have not read the Constitution and that is something that needs to change.
I’m proud to belong to the Daughters of the American Revolution. Members are female descendants of patriots who “sacrificed their lives and fortunes” to establish this country. To honor these ancestors, the Daughters take the U.S. Constitution seriously and we strongly encourage learning more about it during Constitution Week.
The DAR initiated the observance of Constitution Week in 1955, when we petitioned the U.S. Congress to dedicate Sept. 17-23 of each year to the commemoration of Constitution Week.
Congress adopted the resolution, and on Aug. 2, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into Public Law #915.
The celebration’s goals are threefold: to encourage the study of the historical events that led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787; to remind the public that the Constitution is the basis of America’s great heritage and the foundation for its way of life; and to emphasize U.S. citizens’ responsibility to protect, defend and preserve the U.S. Constitution.
DAR’s President General, Pamela Rouse Wright says, “We are so proud DAR led the way in making Constitution Week an official commemoration and our members enthusiastically promote the celebration annually in communities across the country by erecting community displays, sponsoring municipal proclamations, ringing bells and staging programs to raise awareness of the Constitution’s tenets and importance.”
She adds, “We encourage all citizens to join us in celebrating this powerful document that is so important to American history and to reflect on the impact the Constitution has had on the lives of American citizens past and present.”
If you are interested in reading the Constitution and understanding how the Founding Fathers framed a government for “We The People,” please feel free to reach out to the local Tomochichi Chapter at Tomochichichapter@gmail.com and we can provide you with a “pocket” Constitution. Or, visit the National Archives at https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
Cindy Foster Grace
Past Regent and Chaplain
Tomochichi Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution