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Grateful
By priscillafairbank on 2008-11-30 08:50:34
In this season of reflecting on the things for which one is grateful, I think about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights - the
bedrocks of the democracy that we continue to strive to protect and improve. It is too easy to take for granted. These
documents are a product of the struggles of history and the dreams of women and men who envisioned a government that
recognized and protected the "rights" of the people. As a literacy tutor, I have had the opportunity to coach students who
were studying for their citizenship test. It has certainly made me aware of how little most Americans know about some of
our founding principles and documents. As I help these students work to memorize the 100 sample questions, I wonder how
many high school or college students would do well answering them. I learned from my nephew at Thanksgiving that his
university has a required class for freshmen that includes reading and discussing founding documents. I think that is a great
start. I would like to see a wider public awareness and discussion of these documents with historical context. This might
include the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, The Constitution, and Bill of Rights as starters. Another
document, only 60 years old, is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I think these are a useful starting point as we
seek to strengthen and improve our democracy. An informed populace is essential. We elect representatives to go to Albany
and Washington to represent us but that does not mean we turn over all decision making to them. Our (informed) voices are
important. The balance of powers that was created among the three branches of federal government are not always in a
healthy balance. It is up to us to be vigilant and to protest when one branch becomes too powerful. I am grateful for the
thoughtful women and men who crafted these documents, struggled to improve them (19th Amendment to the Constitution
guaranteeing women's right to vote), and continue to work to strengthen our democracy. It is not perfect; there is inequality.
"Freedom is not free"; the best way to protect our freedoms is to be informed, engage in the process, and speak up and speak
out. Iam grateful to have the freedom to do that.
