Conceiving The Constitution

 

 

Conceiving The Constitution

Every high school student in the United States should have to learn and be tested on the Constitution. Nothing in my knowledge is butchered more on a daily basis than the Constitution. People will contest rights that exist or claim that rights that don't exist are amendments.  It is misquoted, misunderstood, and misjudged so often  that to most Americans it has lost all meaning. And if you want to live in a free society shouldn’t we understand what exactly that means. Wouldn’t a good place to start be by learning the Constitution and knowing what our freedoms are.

How well does the average American  know the constitution? According to the Annenberg Public Policy center not many. 55% of people surveyed did not know when the constitution was signed. They believed it was signed in 1776 the year of the Declaration of Independence as opposed to 1787 at the Constitutional Convention. Not a good start. 

People mix up the order of the Amendments or remember  just parts, not allowing them to fully comprehend there rights. A study by the McCormick Freedom Museum showed only one in 1,000 knew the five freedoms of the first Amendment while 220 could name all 5 characters in the Simpson Family. On top of that 38% percent believed the right against self incrimination, a right of the Fifth Amendment is a First Amendment right.

Only ⅓ of Americans have even bothered to read the Constitution according to Sean O'Brien, executive director at the Orange, Va., center. He also stated that younger people 18 to 24 years old believe older people have a higher grasp on the Constitution. They don’t believe it is significant to there every day lives. But what could be more fundamental then knowing your rights. And how can't it affect the decisions we make on a daily basis.

It should be mandated by the federal government: If your school receives federal funds then  the students who attend those schools will know there rights under the Constitution. It can only be of benefit, not only to them but all those that surround them. We have structured a society based on these freedoms. It is time society takes notice and realize the importance of understanding the constitution. What if there needs to be a change in the Constitution? Who can lead the blind when they are unwilling to listen? We can’t change what we don’t know, or can we?

http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/freedom/constitution/text.html