Today is Constitution Day, celebrating the 225th anniversary of this glorious document. Here are some items to prompt some thinking about the Constitution.
If you are in Philadelphia today, the National Constitution Center is open with free admission. Yesterday, a group of Afghani government ministers went to the Center to learn more about our founding documents. If you can be in Philadelphia tomorrow, the Philadelphia Historical Society is putting six of its original drafts and copies of the Constitution on display. Seriously, if you can go see these, do so. Looking at these documents in person is a surprisingly powerful experience.
The Politicization of the Constitution:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rdSfYuRnmk[/youtube]
Republicans’ Voter ID Assault on Thomas Jefferson: Why Constitution Day Matters:
As we celebrate this Constitution Day, we must be educating our citizens instead of road blocking citizenship rights for which thousands have fought and died. We must be educating on pathways to citizenship, not restricting individuals from access to our democracy. Early voting, absentee ballots and in-language assistance are all key pillars of voting, and it is unfortunate that Democrats have to fight tooth and nail to retain them.
AMEN
EDIT: One more, this from Senator Chris Coons, who writes in today’s NJ Op-Ed page that Citizen’s United is a blot on Constitution, fair elections:
Despite my deep respect for the Supreme Court and its role in protecting and preserving our democracy, I simply do not agree with the majority of the justices’ conclusion in this case. They found that unregulated, unreported campaign donations from corporations are actually speech – meaning that corporations have the same right to spend money to influence elections as you and me. The problem, of course, is that corporations aren’t people. Corporations don’t have children or parents, they don’t have bad hair days and they can’t catch the flu.
Quite right, of course, and thanks to Senator Coons for speaking out on this.
What interests you today?