MOUNT VERNON — The importance and continued relevance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were highlighted when the Mount Vernon Lions Club brought a Liberty Day program to eighth-graders at Mount Vernon Middle School.
Student council member Steven Meeker Jr. greeted the guests, and the formal welcome was given by Mount Vernon Lions President Donna Gutridge. The Knox County Joint Veterans Council provided the color guard, and Ohio District 13K Governor Denny Irvin led the Pledge of Allegiance.
In explaining what Liberty Day is all about, Don DeVault, past district governor, Ohio District 13K, told the students, “It’s not just about a day. It’s about you, our youth. It is about teaching about our country’s beginnings ... and it’s about these books you’re going to receive. Each of you will get a pocket-sized booklet which contains our founding documents.”
Mount Vernon’s mayor, Richard Mavis, was one of the elected officials speaking at the assembly. He talked about the people who framed the Constitution, and said the document, the oldest written constitution, is the basis for the constitutions of 100 different countries around the world.
Featureed speaker State Rep. Thom Collier said the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are two of the most important, if not the most important, documents in the nation’s history.
He said the Declaration of Independence is a progressive, radical and liberal document, while the Constitution is a conservative document, laying a firm foundation on how U.S. citizens govern themselves. The declaration, Collier said, is radical because the United States wanted to be free and independent from the mother country, Great Britain, and listed the grievances the colonists had against the king.
The Constitution is conservative, Collier said, because, although it can be changed and altered, it sets forth very strict guidelines of how the country is governed, and is the foundation of all the country’s laws.
After reading the preamble, and encouraging the students to recite it along with him, Collier said, “I hope you will carry this book with you because it is a real, living document.”
“This is the foundation of what we read about our government, and about the laws, and freedoms that we enjoy,” he said. “That’s what Liberty Day is all about: Enjoying the freedoms; recognizing the freedoms that we have but never forgetting the sacrifices, and costs of those freedoms. ... Cherish these documents and remember the importance of what they mean to us today. They should be treasured and honored and referred to as you go on with your lives.”
The program ended with the singing of “God Bless America,” and the color guard recessional.
