Still going strong 237 years later
The 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence had no idea what the United States of America would look like more than 230 years later, but they laid a solid foundation for the remarkable document that followed — the U.S. Constitution.
As we celebrate the nation’s 237th birthday Thursday with cookouts and fireworks, we should remember those in the military, along with civilians, who sacrificed their lives or suffered debilitating injuries to uphold our freedom and the words in the Constitution.
There are people in our nation who consider themselves strict constitutional constructionists, a term meaning they think judges should make rulings based solely on the text of the Constitution. That sounds good, but here is something to think about.
The Founding Fathers had no idea that cellphones and the Internet would be ubiquitous in today’s world, and that there would be Bill of Rights concerns about whether, in the name of national security, the government has the right to snoop into our use of this technology.
Those 56 signers of the Declaration, along with the authors and signers of the Constitution, all “enlightened” men, had no idea that gay marriage and women’s suffrage were on the horizon, or that a heated partisan debate would erupt about universal health care for U.S. citizens. They never envisioned a federal income tax and an Internal Revenue Service to collect it, let alone a national scandal over revelations the IRS was targeting certain organizations for some red-tape harassment.
They probably envisioned the United States would grow to become an agricultural, industrial, scientific and economic powerhouse on the backs of immigrants, who arrived here on their own or by force. But did they foresee the modern-day debate over illegal immigration?
Since the signing of the Constitution, we still argue over the extent of presidential powers, including authorizing the use of unmanned drone aircraft as a weapon of war. We’re still debating how far the courts can go to guarantee citizens equal protection under the laws of the United States, how far the Second Amendment’s right to keep and bear arms can be stretched, and what police can and can’t do to get criminals off the streets.
None of this could have been foreseen 200 years ago. But the Constitution set up a separation of powers structure, with a crucial independent judiciary that interprets the Constitution’s Bill of Rights for real-world situations.
There can be a lot of discord over those interpretations, but because we are a nation of laws, we’re able to disagree and move on. That is why those who think the United States is going to hell in a hand basket are wrong. As long as we remain a nation that respects the rule of law, the United States will be here for another 237 years and beyond, even with our partisan and philosophical differences.