East Iredell Middle School “Constitution Day”
Special for the Iredell Standing for Truth media
By: Lynne M Taylor (retired private educator)
September 30, 2024
(Photo courtesy of East Iredell Elementary School Librarian)
Recently, I volunteered via a program that Iredell County’s School Board Member, Mike Kubiniec, had set up for local citizens to help our area schools. (Iredell Standing for Truth’s article)
In North Carolina, every September 17th is set aside as “Constitution Day” to help students understand WHY an over 200 year old framing document (the U.S. Constitution) is still so vital to our freedoms.
Not only should we be teaching, daily, how important our U.S. Constitution is, but how important our N.C. Constitution is.
I was assigned to Mr. Jester’s 6th and 7th Grade Social Studies classes. During the time there, I laid out for the students how knowing your rights is. Many students, and even adults, are not truly aware of what their natural given rights are and which of those rights the government is tasked to protect. Government cannot and should not assign rights, BUT the government can remove or impede rights. That’s just one of the reasons knowing what the U.S. Constitution does and does NOT do.
#1: The U.S. Constitution set up a framework for the government NOT to assign personal rights. it also did NOT set up the ‘right to privacy’ or a ‘jury by our peers’.
The 2 party political system wasn’t included in the U.S. Constitution, nor the separation of church and State. Filibusters (unlimited debate) and Miranda Rights are not in the U.S. Constitution. Finally, the size of the U.S. Supreme Court wasn’t included. The biggest misconception is that the U.S. Constitution guaranteed ‘the pursuit of life and happiness’! That, my friends, was included in the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
#2: The N.C. Constitution set up protection of natural rights to every citizen of the State. It also recognizes our civil, political and religious rights.
By knowing this difference, each of us can know when their rights are in danger or being infringed upon!
#3: Every portion of both the Constitutions are important in 2024 and beyond!
The presentation continued with where the government truly starts. It begins with each of us in the form of self governing. So many who were in attendance thought like most Americans: that government begins at the federal level and trickles down to the individual. However, true governance, as our founding fathers laid out, begins in ourselves.
From there, our families are the first form of any type of government we experience (aka: authority). Then, from families, the governing reaches communities as we all work together to
protect our liberty and freedom. Communities, in turn, will ‘feed’ the State level leadership.
States will then send their best leaders to represent us at the federal level.
How many times have we seen social media images or read scholarly articles where this paradigm is turned on its head? We must change this dynamic!
Why? When presented from the ‘bottom up’, you make the Constitutions become more personal and meaningful! You show the students that what they say, do, think, or how they live is worth protecting!
In this manner, it creates a learning moment for us all. Are we, as the State of North Carolina, holding our federal government accountable for adhering to what’s their duty and what’s our responsibility?
Other Ways to Live Out the Constitutions Daily:
1) Start with learning the Preamble statements. For the U.S. Constitution’s, it means that we will pledge to stand united. For the N.C.’s it means the State is pledging to look out for us.
2) Know the “Big 10” (Bill of Rights) for the U.S. Constitution. N.C.’s has a bit different setup, but know that the first one is all about our rights. It has 37 sections!
3) Know the other 17 Amendments (there are 27 in all for the U.S. Constitution). Of those, how many are devoted to voting and the protection of it?
4) Know the 14 Amendments of the NC Constitution, especially the first one which has 37
sections about YOUR rights!
Finally, get involved! One day, we’ll see these students leading us. We cannot stand for freedom if we have no clue what it is, how to know when it’s in danger, and, we need to help protect it for someone else.
(Photo of Mr. Jester of East Iredell Middle School and Lynne Taylor, guest speaker 9/17/24.Courtesy of EIMS Librarian.)
