We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, 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...
Planned Events
| Monday, September 17th, 2007 |
11:00am - 1:00pm
LSC Plaza |
- Constitutional Information table
- Free copies of the U.S. Constitution (while they last)
- Constitutional Trivia
- Free speech board:
- Share your reactions to the Constitution Student Organization Tables
20% off all History & Political Science books at the CSU Bookstore on September 17th only
|
| Saturday, September 22nd, 2007 |
7:00pm
LSC Theater |
ASAP presents "The People vs. Larry Flynt" followed by a discussion on what speech should be protected under the First Amendment. |
Questions? Contact Campus Activities at 491-6626.
Constitution Day Video Links
Constitution Day content will be broadcast and web streamed through multiple sources. You can learn about them all right here. You can watch them right here.
CONVERSATIONS WITH SUPREME COURT JUSTICES
United States Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Stephen Breyer will talk about the Constitution with high school students at the Supreme Court. The classroom-ready video will feature the Justices taking questions from students and discussing why we have and need a Constitution; what federalism is; how implicit and explicit rights are defined; and how separation of powers ensures that no one branch of government obtains too much power. RUNTIME: approx. 30 min.
http://www.justicelearning.org/constitutionday/TuneIn.asp#previews
NPR's JUSTICE TALKING LIVE ON VIDEO
NPR's Margot Adler will host an hour-long special video-cast from the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives. The debate, "Free Speech in the Digital Age," will look at censorship in libraries, of textbooks, and on the Internet. The program will examine the reasons for both safeguarding and limiting speech, including protection of minors and community safety, ensuring a free marketplace of ideas, and guaranteeing democratic institutions—an excellent way to jump start classroom discussion on First Amendment freedoms. Guests include First Amendment Attorney, Floyd Abrams; Jack Valenti, Past President and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America and Stanford Law Professor, Lawrence Lessig. RUNTIME: 60 min.
http://www.justicelearning.org/constitutionday/TuneIn.asp#previews
Fascinating Facts about the Constitution
- The US Constitution has 4440 words. It is the oldest and the shortest written constitution of any government in the world.
- Of the typographical errors in the Constitution, the misspelling of the word "Pensylvania" above the signers' names is probably the most glaring.
- The Constitution does not set forth requirements for the right to vote. As a result, at the outset of the Union, only male property owners could vote. African Americans were not considered citizens, and women were excluded from the electoral process. Native Americans were not given the right to vote until 1924.
- The oldest person to sign the Constitution was Benjamin Franklin (81). The youngest was Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey (26).
- George Washington and James Madison were the only presidents who signed the Constitution.
- James Wilson originally proposed the President be chosen by popular vote, but the delegates agreed (after 60 ballots) on a system known as the Electoral College. Although there have been 500 proposed amendments to change it, this "indirect" system of electing the president is still intact. The U. S. Constitution and Fascinating Facts About It Oak Hill Publishing Company, 2005
Links
www.justicelearning.org
www.archives.gov
www.constitutionday.com
Peaceful Assembly at CSU