MOUNT VERNON — Constitution Week is an observance to commemorate the adoption of the United States Constitution. It was officially enacted on Aug. 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to promote study and education about the Constitution which was originally adopted by the American Congress of the Confederation on Sept. 17, 1787. It runs Sept. 17-23 each year.
Over the years, the United States Constitution has served the country well with little change.
But as society has changed so has the perception of what the Constitution is and does. Many believe it is a document written in stone that is not subject to interpretation. Others believe that it is a living document that is sensitive to the changes in our society and, as such, is able to preserve this country’s basic freedoms in the light of changing times and the political whims that sweep the country from time to time.
Constitution Week gives us a chance to come to a more complete understanding of this revolutionary document.
Kirk Emmert, professor emeritus of history at Kenyon College, believes that an understanding of what it means is important. For it to be effective over a long period of time, the U.S. Constitution needs to be viewed as somewhere between the extreme views prevalent today.
