Christian Peterson
reporter@riverbendnews.org
On Sept. 17, 1787, 39 brave men formed and signed the United States Constitution. In doing so, they codified the liberties, freedoms and God-given rights of all Americans, later to be expounded upon by the Bill of Rights and then future amendments to the document. Almost 200 years later, in 1955, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) began the process of dedicating the week of Sept. 17 to the education of the Constitution. DAR petitioned Congress to annually dedicate the week of Sept. 17 to Sept. 23 as an observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was adopted by Congress and, on Aug. 2, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into public law.
“We are so proud DAR led the way in making Constitution Week an official commemoration and our members enthusiastically promote the celebration annually in communities across the country by erecting community displays, sponsoring municipal proclamations, ringing bells and staging programs to raise awareness of the Constitution's tenets and importance,” DAR President General Pamela Rouse Wright said. “We encourage all citizens to join us in celebrating this powerful document that is so important to American history, and to reflect on the impact the Constitution has had on the lives of American citizens past and present.”
The celebration has three main goals: to encourage the study of the historical events that led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787; to remind the public that the Constitution is the basis of America's great heritage and the foundation for its way of life; and to emphasize the US citizens' responsibility to protect, defend and preserve the US Constitution. It's a great time to learn about such an integral document to the United States.
Members of theDAR met with both Live Oak Mayor Frank Davis and Branford Mayor Donny Glover last month where both mayors signed proclamations for Constitution Week. Both proclamations are available at each town's respective libraries for residents both young and old to view.