September 17th is Constitution Day. 224 years ago, America’s Founders ratified a new Constitution that would form a more perfect union and secure the blessings of liberty. Here are 10 easy ways you and your family can celebrate Constitution day:
1) Read it. The Constitution is only a few pages long, well-organized, and clearly written. Now is a great time to clear up any misconceptions you might have about the Constitution. Did you know that the Constitution doesn’t limit voting only to rich, white males?
2) Pass out copies of pocket Constitutions to your friends and coworkers. Can’t get a hold of pocket Constitutions? Email your friends and coworkers the link to an online copy of the Constitution.
3) Take a Constitution quiz online. ConstitutionFacts.com offers both a simple and an advanced quiz.
4) Learn about the Framers of the Constitution. Check out Heritage’s Founders Almanac for short bios and important quotes of some of the key Founders. Can’t decide which Founder you like best? Take the Constitution Center’s Which Founder are You? quiz.
5) Discover the ideas behind the Constitution. The Federalist Papers are the most famous Founding era essays on the Constitution. To learn more about the history and context of America’s Founding principles and the subsequent challenge to them posed by progressivism and modern liberalism, check out Heritage’s We Still Hold These Truths.
6) Learn about the threat posed by Judicial Activism. Check out Order in the Court to see how judges are undermining core principles of the Constitution. Did you know that some judges have used foreign law to overturn US law? See how the “living document” theory has been used to undermine the constitution.
7) Make sure your kids understand the Constitution. Read the Constitution together as a family. Discuss the importance of the Constitution at the dinner table. For younger children, check out Heritage’s Understanding America series for easy-to-read explanations of some of the core principles which the constitution defends. Do you have older children, perhaps some in college? Send them a copy of The Heritage Guide to the Constitution.
8) Share what you know about the Constitution. One of the best ways to ensure the Constitution is remembered is to share what you know and learn about it with those around you. Post a blog. Submit an article to your local newspaper about the importance of the Constitution.
9) Watch a movie about the Founding era. 1776 is great fun for the whole family. For a more in-depth and sophisticated portrayal of the Founding era, try the HBO miniseries on John Adams. Want to enjoy some mindless patriotic fun? See if Captain America is still in theatres.
10) Spread the word in your local community. Find out if your local community has a Constitution Day celebration or festival. Donate copies of We Still Hold These Truths and The Heritage Guide to the Constitution to your local library and school. Urge your local school board commemorate the day as well.
Happy Constitution Day!