COLUMN: Does the Constitution matter?
Today there are many conflicting views on the position of the U.S. Constitution in our government today. There are some who believe the Constitution is just as relevant today as it was the day it was signed. However, there are also those who hold the Constitution to be a be “outdated” and “quaint.” The question each of us must ask ourselves is, “Who is correct, and why?”
One of the most important things for all of us to remember is that the Constitution was a product of lifetimes of study and experience. The Founding Fathers were well read. They had studied their contemporaries, such as Blackstone, Locke and Montesquieu. They were also just as familiar with Cicero, European history and the Bible. This amazing group of individuals had a great understanding of philosophy, religion, economics and history. They were conscious of both the strengths and weaknesses of mankind. They were well acquainted with various forms of government, many of which are being sold to Americans as “new alternatives” to what some would claim to be an “outdated” Constitution. Among these were monarchy, democracy and the welfare state.
The Founders had a great deal of practice and experience in writing constitutions. Many had helped in the drafting of their state constitutions. Much experience was also gained in the drafting of the failed Articles of Confederation. The constitutional convention took many months to slowly develop the great document we know as the Constitution. It was carefully crafted and polished.
What does this mean for us today? To me, it means that the Constitution was based on basic, eternal principles. These principles existed long before the days of ancient Israel. They applied in the times of the Founding Fathers, and they are still relevant in today’s modern society. Technology has changed, and the world has changed, but man has not. Power can be just as corrupting today as it was in the days of Caesar. The Founders understood this and created a Constitution which would hold all of the representatives of the people in check and appropriately distribute power so as to keep any individual from becoming too powerful.
Many would contend that the Constitution is “flexible” and can be changed at the whims of Congress, the court and the president. The Founders did understand that times would change, so they provided for amendments to the Constitution. However, they made it clear that until amended, the Constitution was to be strictly followed. They taught that this nation is based on rule of law, not the whims of man. They specifically directed our representatives to give an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution before taking office. Those words are not just a mere formality, but an obligation of trust entered into by our representatives in government with us, their fellow citizens.
There are those who would simply do away with our Constitution. To those who would replace the Constitution, I would ask with what would they replace it? Can anyone show me a system that has turned a small, developing nation into the prosperous nation we enjoy today? A nation that has but a small share of the world’s resources, land and people, but that possesses a vast majority of the world’s wealth?
What else would you have? Any other system of government either leans too far to the side of tyranny or too far to the side of anarchy. Neither has proven effective. The Founders placed our government squarely in the center of this spectrum, at a place that maximizes the freedom of its citizens. Any departure from the basic principles of the Constitution would lead us to too much government to still ensure freedom, or so little that freedom cannot truly be maintained.
To me, the proof that the Constitution is effective is in its fruits. These fruits are all around us. This nation, and indeed the world, is more prosperous because of it. If this nation is to continue to flourish, we must maintain the principles of freedom, self- sufficiency and integrity that allowed the United States to prosper.
I sincerely hope that all of us will strive to understand the Constitution and recognize how valuable it is today, before it is taken from us by those who would also deprive us of our freedom.
Colby Lyons is a senior majoring in law and constitutional studies. Questions and comments can be sent to him at c.lyons@aggiemail.usu.edu. For more constitutional conservatism, visit www.constitutionalconservative.info.