September 17, 1787
Smile today, and share with others what happened on September 17th, 1787.
Today is Constitution Day, a day of great national significance. A date in history that it would be wise for Americans to never forget.
On September 17th, 1787, the US Constitution was first signed. Today, just 27 amendments later, this unparalleled document spells out the form of government, for the freest and most incredible nation on earth.
Even though our nation is very young, we have the longest standing form of government in the world. Kings and kingdoms have fallen, dictators come and gone, empires risen and vanished, coups, wars, and insurrections, the world over, yet our form of government has remained.
A testament to the brilliant concepts found throughout its pages including the separation of powers and an accurate understanding of human nature. Although no creation by mortals can or ever will be perfect, what our founders created was based on the deep hope that ‘we the people’ would be able to govern ourselves.
Although I have had the honor of visiting our nation's Capitol too many times to count, my visits to the National Archives on Constitution Day in 1997, 1998, and 1999, were some of the most solemn and wonderful events that I have ever experienced.
I am still in awe, as I recall standing by the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of rights, as a member of our armed service sang our National Anthem.
Everyone stood in silence, in honor of our nation, its symbols, in deep thankfulness to those who fought, bled, and died, to secure our God given freedoms, and in remembrance of the ideals passed on to each one of us. A sacred moment when you could observe first hand, the essence of who we are as a nation, and feel exceedingly proud to be an American. and to honor all that we stand for as a nation.
We then watched, the naturalization ceremonies of over 30 new US citizens, who recited the following words:
"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."
I have often thought that those of us who have been blessed to have lived our entire lives in the freest nation on earth, would do well to read and ponder the oath taken by our newest fellow citizens.
In doing so, let us take time today to recall the significance of this date in history, pray for resolution to the challenges we currently face as a nation, and smile today, and share with others, what happened on September 17th, 1787.