From Marjorie Kinkade
Creston
Sept. 17-23 was proclaimed as Constitution Week when it was signed into Public Law No. 915 in 1956.
Earlier than that, Abraham Lincoln said, “Our safety, our liberty, depends upon the preservation of the Constitution of the United States of the United States of America, as our fathers made inviolate. The people of the United States are the rightful masters of both the Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the constitution.“
Signed 230 years ago on Sept. 17, 1787, by 55 delegates to the Constitutional Congress in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, this Constitution has been a true guide to our good. It has enabled us to prosper as a nation for many years. Recently however, it seems some people have tried to change what those founding fathers wanted for the nation. The men who signed were well educated men of means, and many of them lost their lives and fortunes as a result of the signing.
Our Constitution is the oldest constitution still in active use in the world today and is the basic document of our republic. It is the cornerstone of our freedoms and was written to protect every American from the abuse of power by the government.
True, times have changed since the Constitution was written, but the basic facts of life have not. We need to be reminded what this country is all about. We must understand the privileges we have come to expect also come with responsibilities. Our commitment should be to our government as well as our fellow men and women. We need to train our children to be respectful citizens. We must help in improving our communities and become better citizens ourselves.
Fly your flag during Constitution Week Sept. 17-23, and be thankful you live in America.