As a great lover of history, I often look back on the American Constitution with amazement and awe. It showed such foresight in its conception and was written with such beauty and eloquence. It was an absolute stroke of genius.
When I think back on what our forefathers were confronted with in terms of trying to establish a set of laws by which our new country would be governed, I can't imagine being charged with that kind of responsibility or handling it as well as they did. It has served as the supreme law of the country for more than 220 years, and has not become outdated.
The Bill of Rights showed more than any other part of the American Constitution the brilliance of the men who wrote it, because they allowed for the possibility that they had not gotten everything right, and that circumstances might change, making some of the laws inappropriate.
As a journalist, the most important of these to me is the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and expression. I am not sure if most people realize just exactly how important this amendment is, but the fact of the matter is that Americans would not know about scandals, breeches of security and political corruption if it was not for this amendment.
We as Americans would not be able to protest or speak out against issues if we disagree with them if was not for our First Amendment rights. The United States of America is what it is today because of our First Amendment rights.
Then there is the freedom of religion that is part of our First Amendment rights. That is one thing I hear people of all faiths say when they talk about the greatness of America, is that they can worship as they choose, without having to worry about being persecuted.
The Eighth Amendment, which prevents cruel and unusual punishment for crimes, is another amendment to the American Constitution that showed tremendous forethought. When you think about the torturing of criminals that goes on in some countries even today, it really makes you appreciate what our founders understood 220 years ago; even though a person may be a criminal, they are still human, and deserve a certain degree of protection in a civilized country.
I know that this concept is not uniquely American, as the idea was borrowed from the English Bill of Rights, but it was still recognized as important enough to keep in our own constitution.
The American Constitution is such an important document in our country's history not only because it sets out the laws by which the United States is governed, but also because it has endured for more than 200 years.