It's Constitution Day!

We the People Need to Preserve, Protect and Defend It.

September 17, 1787 was a clear, warm and pleasant day in Philadelphia; the day that the delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the U. S. Constitution into law. At the time of the signing, there were 13 states in the Republic, the original 13 colonies that had declared their independence from British rule—thus embracing self-governance and rejecting rule by a King.

This day is a somber day of remembrance for our country. Every elected official takes an oath of loyalty to the Constitution and the President’s oath is to “preserve, protect and defend” it. Since taking office, the President, MAGA members of Congress, our Governor and Lt. Governor, all aided and abetted by the six MAGA Justices on the Robert’s Supreme Court have worked to deliberately undermine and upend the freedoms outlined in the sacred document.

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Did You Know:

In 1789, James Madison, serving as a Representative in the U. S. House of Representatives, presented a package of amendments to Congress that served to protect individual rights and freedoms. Congress approved twelve amendments and sent them to the states for ratification. By December 15, 1791 ten states had ratified the first 10 amendments. Those first 10 amendments became our Bill of Rights.

The First Amendment guarantees five fundamental freedoms of which Congress or the President cannot lawfully revoke or abridge.

• Freedom of Religion:

  • Congress cannot establish an official religion.

  • People are free to practice their religion without government interference.

• Freedom of Speech:

  • Individuals can express their opinions without government censorship or punishment (with limited exceptions like threats, incitement, or defamation).

• Freedom of the Press

  • Journalists and publishers can share information and opinions without government control.

• Right to Assemble

  • People can gather peacefully for meetings, protests, or demonstrations.

• Right to Petition the Government (redress of grievances)

  • Citizens can formally request changes, complain about policies or demand action without fear of retaliation.

The tragic events of the past week have given us a clear view of what our country looks like when our First Amendment rights are afforded only to those aligned with the government and MAGA ideology. Social media posts are being surveilled and people are losing their jobs because they are posting factual information about Charlie Kirk. Speaking truth about the person is not the same as condoning the violence of his death.

Across social media and workplaces, people expressing other than a full-throated condemnation of his killing are being fired or ostracized in what appears to be a coordinated effort to silence dissent. Newspapers and political journals are being threatened with law suits and loss of tax-exempt status for just printing the facts about Kirk’s ideology, words, and actions.

While there is no evidence that the shooter had any connections with liberal ideology or the Democratic Party, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff accused left wing political organizations of being a ‘vast domestic terror movement’ and vowed revenge on those groups. Many MAGA elected officials are using language that is inflammatory and invites violence against anyone whom they consider not appropriately grieving this loss of life.

While there has been a continual assault on all of our freedoms since the 2024 election at both a state and federal level, last week’s events have amplified the degree to which our Constitution and our civil liberties are being existentially threatened. We must not ‘not see’ this.

Indiana has joined the chorus of reprimanding and disciplining state workers for social media posts. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita sent a message to Hoosiers that if anyone has a complaint about Indiana educators or school administrators making comments that ‘celebrate or rationalize’ the killing of Charlie Kirk, they can report those people by using the Eyes on Education portal.

Why It Matters:

Our beloved, flawed and imperfect Constitution is under attack. The goal of this current ‘regime’ is to dismantle and completely unravel the Constitution taking individual freedoms as collateral damage.

In addition to the Bill of Rights, the Articles of the Constitution are also dangerously threatened. The first three Articles explicitly outline the separation of powers into three distinct branches; executive, legislative and judicial. The founders of our Republic were well aware of the dangers of a consolidation of power, especially in the executive branch. Authoritarians can only exist if there is a concentration of executive power, and they demand loyalty and absolute fidelity by everyone—or else!

The Constitution was written to protect us from this President. Many have been disloyal to their oath of office and have helped get us to this dangerous place.

What You Can Do:

If you don’t already have a pocket version of The Constitution, make a trip to your favorite bookstore, independently owned if possible, and purchase a copy. You can also download a PDF copy made available by the Constitution Center. Take a few minutes to imagine what life would be like without this imperfect document, without the freedoms outlined by the Bill of Rights. Imagine being unfree.

As you read this short preamble, what does it mean to you?

We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure 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.

Take time today to talk to your children, your friends and neighbors about the freedoms we enjoy as a free country. How are we being called now, as citizens of this country, to protect those freedoms for ourselves and others? If you live close enough, attend Carmel, Indiana’s first Constitution Day Democracy Festival on Saturday, September 20th from 1-4 pm, in the Carmel Civic Square.

Limit the time you spend on social media and inoculate yourself against the pull to blame, accuse, or denigrate anyone. Defend the right to speak truth about the person that Charlie Kirk was while grieving his loss of life. Remind others that we must reject political violence completely, not just condemning it when it happens to ‘one of our own’.

Stay informed and engaged. Hold your loved ones close. Pray for peace for all people. Allow yourself to rest, enjoy a sunset, laugh and notice those small miracles that happen every single day.

We are all in this together.

Happy Constitution Day!

The H4D Team