Constitution Day, an Important Event for Remembering Our Freedoms

By Justin Wilmeth
1787 Society Vice President

To some, the United States Constitution might seem outdated or stale.

In this country they are free to think that as their right to free speech is protected by that same outdated and stale document – which is, by the way, still valid and fresh to this very day.

On September 19^th Oklahoma Christian University, Daughters of the American Revolution, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, and the 1787 Society partnered together to celebrate Constitution Day with students and those truly interested in what the Constitution means to us in 2011.

The event was an opportunity to hear from some credible authorities on the topic. Three different scholars focused in on different aspects of the Constitution and what it means in present times. Hopefully you were able to catch all three. But in case you didn’t, here’s a small rundown on what each speaker focused on.

Kicking things off was Andrew Spiropoulos, the Professor of Law and Director of the Center for the Study of State Constitutional Law and Government at Oklahoma City University, addressing the topic of Constitutional Principles.

After that, Joel Kintsel, OCPA Executive Vice President and Director of the Center for Constitutional Freedom, spoke to the OC campus about the issue of Federalism and if it still matters today.

Wrapping up the event was Dr. J. Rufus Fears of the University of Oklahoma. The David Ross Boyd Professor of Classics focused on the Magna Carta and how it laid the groundwork for our Constitution centuries later.

The entire event was rewarding. Like any good nerd of government and history, I do a fair amount of reading on the subjects. However, being able to hear deeply educated professionals speak on some of the most important aspects of this country’s ideology and how it came to be was simply outstanding. All of the stories were intriguing and added a lot of color to a topic that is often seen as outdated or stale.

I was reminded of just how lucky I am to have been born in this great country. Human history is basically thousands of years of dark tyranny, with the only bright spots being the liberty provided by the United States of America over the past 235 years. Listening to these men speak about why our country’s framework is unique, special, and important was refreshing and enlightening. I truly hope you enjoyed the speakers.