Two hundred and twenty-one years ago today in Philadelphia, the Constitution was signed, giving birth to an experiment in government that has been more successful than the signers ever dreamed. Today is a good day to step back from the current political fray and look at what this document, this idea, this dream has produced.
We have, for over two hundred years, experienced peaceful (for the most part) elections of our leaders. We have seen the civilized transfer of power from one party to another. We have seen slavery abolished, and the right to vote extended to all citizens, regardless of their race or gender. We have seen inflammatory legal issues decided by our courts system, and the results debated and sometimes changed via prescribed procedures.
It hasn't been perfect. We have made mistakes. There have been violent disagreements and protests of unpopular policies, but we have been faithful to that initial statement of our founding fathers: "We, the people..." are the deciders for our country. We, the people, will vote in November and select our leaders once again. We, the people of the United States of America, have been making history for over two hundred years, and this election is another chapter, another illustration of how that happens. Whether we choose a black man or a white man, a woman or a man, a soldier or a statesman, we know that the Constitution is strong enough to withstand whatever storms we may encounter. Times may get rougher, challenges harder to meet; prestige may fade, economics may falter, but we planted our flag over 200 years ago in Philadelphia. It will stand.
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