The 1787 Society and the United States Constitution

By Garrett King

1787 Society President

It is October. The leaves are falling, deer hunting has commenced in Oklahoma, and, on the first Monday of this tenth month of the year, the Supreme Court of the United States of America, created by Article III of the Constitution, began its term.

The decisions that emanate from the high court are always a matter of intense public interest. And they should be—after all, since the establishment of the principle of judicial review those decisions directly impact the laws of one republic of over three-hundred million citizens as well as the laws of fifty states of various respective populations. The power wielded by this third and, at times, enigmatic branch of the federal governmental edifice is truly formidable. Our society and system of government now looks to the Supreme Court for guidance when enacting new laws, when questioning old ones, and ultimately when the Constitution appears to be threatened. Whether these dangers are foreign or domestic, unjust laws enacted by Congress or intolerable actions taken by the President or even contentions between state governments that are seemingly insoluble we look to the nine Justices of the court to find resolution, and justice. The men and women who are named to this body must be above reproach, for their duty is that of serving as a final arbiter of the Constitutional framework of this great democracy.

At the 1787 Society we work in our own way to defend and promote fidelity to the Constitution of the United States, seeking to remind ourselves and our peers of the uniqueness of the founding charter and of its uncanny ability to be so many things to so many different people. The Constitution is at once a guarantor of governance by the majority and an unmatched protector of the rights of the minority. The Constitution followed a rebellion against the British Crown yet contained within it are many of the same beneficial provisions that have helped preserve “the ancient rights of Englishmen.” It failed to eliminate the scourge of slavery but when abolition became a national battle-cry it was the principles of the Constitution that was raised, along with the Declaration of Independence, as banner and standard of that movement. Suffice it to say, the Constitution is worth upholding—at the Society it is our honor and privilege to do so.

We will end 2011’s regular meetings with a visit from the 17^th Attorney General of the State of Oklahoma, the Honorable Scott Pruitt. I do hope you will join us at Noon on 28-October at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) in Oklahoma City for this exciting conclusion to yet another productive, educational year at the 1787 Society.  As always, we are grateful to our special guests, our hosts at OCPA, and, most importantly, to our members from across the state and nation—we are building the next generation of Constitutional warriors!

- Garrett King of Weatherford is the President of the 1787 Society of Oklahoma, an initiative of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA). The Society works to promote Constitutional fidelity amongst young people in Oklahoma.