Cord Byrd: “today, September 17, in this year of Our Lord, 2007, marks the 220th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of…”

“today, September 17, in this year of Our Lord, 2007, marks the 220th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States. Praise God. Across the Nation, many students, teachers, and historians are spending at least part of their time today reviewing, learning about, and, most of all, appreciating the U.S. Constitution. Although not as flashy looking as the American flag on Flag Day, or as bedecked in sparklers and fireworks as the celebration of the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July, the workhorse that is our Constitution truly merits a day of appreciation by all citizens. The Constitution is a living, breathing document, still as full of passion, patriotism, jealousy, and intrigue after 220 years as the star of any long-running soap opera. Perhaps it is because the Constitution, similar to soap operas, deals with the relations between human beings in society. The Constitution, in its articles and amendments, lays out the roles for its actors: the executive, the legislature, the judiciary, the States, and the rights of individuals. The script is pretty basic: Run a country and ensure the welfare of its citizens. But being human, people never seem content with playing out their own roles as written. James Madison aptly observed that: [T]he essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.…”