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Teach your children well
Sep. 3rd, 2008 10:27 amPreamble to the Constitution of the United States
We, the People of the United States of America,
in order to form a more perfect union,
establish Justice
ensure domestic Tranquility,
provide for the common Defense,
promote the general Welfare and
secure the Blessings of Liberty
to ourselves and our Posterity
do ordain and establish
this Constitution for the United States of America.
In 1979-80, I was an eighth grade student in Illinois. At that time (maybe it's still true, I don't know), all students in eighth grade had to pass a Constitution test in order to advance to high school. We spent weeks studying both the US Constitution and the Illinois Constitution. We had to know that Illinois had had three state capitols in it's time: Kaskasia, Vandalia, and Springfield. We had to memorize the first ten Amendments to the US Constitution, familiarly known as the Bill of Rights. We became familiar with the line of succession to the Presidency -- President, Vice President, Speaker of the House (the House Speaker at the time was Tip O'Neill, though I may have that spelling wrong.) We had to know the names and functions of the three branches of government, and understand that part of the function of having three branches in the first place was "checks and balances." We had to understand that the President took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. I learned a lot of other things, too. The vast majority of what I know about the Constitution and the Federal Government today comes from those weeks in eighth grade spent preparing for the Constitution test.
Imagine, then, my surprise when I learned that most eighth graders outside of Illinois were not required to study the Constitution and pass an exam about it and the Government with at least 75% accuracy to go on to high school.
When I am considering a candidate for political office, I cannot help but take into account the Preamble, the Bill of Rights, and the President-elect's Oath to protect and defend the Constitution.
We, the People of the United States of America,
in order to form a more perfect union,
establish Justice
ensure domestic Tranquility,
provide for the common Defense,
promote the general Welfare and
secure the Blessings of Liberty
to ourselves and our Posterity
do ordain and establish
this Constitution for the United States of America.
In 1979-80, I was an eighth grade student in Illinois. At that time (maybe it's still true, I don't know), all students in eighth grade had to pass a Constitution test in order to advance to high school. We spent weeks studying both the US Constitution and the Illinois Constitution. We had to know that Illinois had had three state capitols in it's time: Kaskasia, Vandalia, and Springfield. We had to memorize the first ten Amendments to the US Constitution, familiarly known as the Bill of Rights. We became familiar with the line of succession to the Presidency -- President, Vice President, Speaker of the House (the House Speaker at the time was Tip O'Neill, though I may have that spelling wrong.) We had to know the names and functions of the three branches of government, and understand that part of the function of having three branches in the first place was "checks and balances." We had to understand that the President took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. I learned a lot of other things, too. The vast majority of what I know about the Constitution and the Federal Government today comes from those weeks in eighth grade spent preparing for the Constitution test.
Imagine, then, my surprise when I learned that most eighth graders outside of Illinois were not required to study the Constitution and pass an exam about it and the Government with at least 75% accuracy to go on to high school.
When I am considering a candidate for political office, I cannot help but take into account the Preamble, the Bill of Rights, and the President-elect's Oath to protect and defend the Constitution.
