September 17th is Constitution Day
Save our Constitution

By Henry Lamb
Sunday, September 13, 2009

September 17th is Constitution Day. This day commemorates the day the U.S. Constitution was signed by 39 courageous Americans in 1787. The document these men created is the best blueprint for the organization of society yet devised.

This document has allowed the people in the United States to prosper beyond the wildest dreams of every preceding generation. The government these men created was no accident. It was the result of extensive examination of all preceding governments, the problems inherent is dictatorial regimes, and, perhaps most important, the realization that freedom is a gift endowed by the Creator to which every human is entitled.

Not all of the men gathered in Philadelphia accepted the notion that black people were entitled to freedom. In fact, some of the men considered black people to be property. This difference of opinion almost destroyed the new government before it was created. Honest men, sincerely seeking a better government found a compromise that satisfied neither side, but was an acceptable way to postpone the resolution until another day.

The most distinguishing characteristic of the new government was its limitation of power. Article 1, Section 8 sets forth the specific powers the federal government may exercise. The 10th Amendment further defines this limitation by reserving all powers not delegated to the federal government, “…to the states respectively or to the people.â€