Our Constitutional

"Our" Constitution

The US Constitution is the finest agreement devised to date for governing a free nation. It served well for over 100 years. Gradually, men began to look for ways around its clear language. Judges began to use contemporary dictionaries and usages as they redefined "to regulate interstate commerce." They "promote[d] the general welfare" willy-nilly, though generally that of select groups. sought to define

The best of agreements among men are only as good as the word, intentions and integrity of the men to whom it applies. Sadly, the word, intentions and integrity of those in elected, appointed and sometimes volunteer positions who are tasked with upholding the constitution today are greatly diminished from those heady days of 1787, when our Constitution first drew breath.

All through that summer, in closed sessions, the delegates debated, drafted and patiently redrafted the articles of the new Constitution. Among the chief points at issue were how much power to allow the central government, how many representatives in Congress to allow each state, and how these representatives should be elected--directly by the people or by the state legislatures. The work of many minds, the Constitution stands as a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise.