Happy Constitution Day

The talk by Rob Boston on the separation of church and state was a good one, but I'll have to write something about it when I'm a little better rested. He talked about our secular state that was laid out by the framers of the Constitution, and how the notion of a secular state repeatedly vilified these days--one notable example was in recent comments by Kathryn Harris.

Anyway, speaking of the Constitution, I was not aware until I happened across something online that today is Constitution Day...

Most Americans know that July 4th is our nation's birthday. Far fewer Americans know that September 17th is the birthday of our government, the date in 1787 on which delegates to the Philadelphia Convention completed and signed the U.S. Constitution.

The ideas on which America was founded--commitments to the rule of law, limited government and the ideals of liberty, equality and justice--are embodied in the Constitution, the oldest written constitution of any nation on Earth. Constitution Day is intended to celebrate not only the birthday of our government, but the ideas that make us Americans.

Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia accomplished a long-standing goal, passing a law designating September 17th as Constitution Day. Schools and federal agencies are required to hold educational programs on the Constitution on Constitution Day.

Since Constitution Day falls on a Sunday, I think those programs are taking place on the 18th this year.

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