The other day I was at my internship (at Target!) and noticed a little book in the dollar section with the painting The Signing of the Constitution by John Trumbull on the cover. Upon further investigation I discovered that this little book contained not only the Constitution but also the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris, and a few other documents.
Now, why am I bothering to bring this up? Well, as you may know I am in love with John Adams (I’m pretty sure I was Abigail Adams in my previous life) and so whenever I see his fine face I get excited. What really wowed me about this seemingly insignificant discovery of a $1 book was that THE ENTIRE BASIS OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS CONTAINED IN AN INCREDIBLY THIN BOOK. Just think about that for a moment.
Other countries have dense, thick documents with countless provisions as their constitutions. There are superfluous words and completely unnecessary lines. Crafted by men more interested in showing how learned they are and focused on being remembered rather than on the longevity and usefulness of what they are creating. I have the utmost respect and admiration for the Constitution due to its concise nature and timely value. Although not always (read: ever) interpreted uniformly, the Constitution of the United States is absolutely the best!
So yes, this is how my mind works; I see something as simple as a book and am suddenly launched into a fit of passion and appreciation for the men of the Revolution. Without the bravery, intelligence, determination, vigor, and unrelenting belief that America could, and ought to be, free, we would not experience the opportunities we enjoy. Let’s all take a moment to thank the men who made this possible and to marvel at the wisdom and faithful guidance the Constitution, in all of its brevity, provides.
What do you like to rant about?
Leave a Reply