Video: At 227, Constitution Still Relevant

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — At 227 years, it’s one of the United States’ oldest documents. And although it’s often cited today to support almost every effort and cause, its principles have changed little.

And this week, groups across the country are celebrating the Constitution as part of a celebration that was started in 1956 by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

“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 if America,” reads the Constitution’s Preamble.

It’s one of the most recognized passages in American history, even if people sometimes aren’t sure what they are hearing. The week of Sept. 17-23 is celebrated each year nationwide as Constitution Week for the study of arguably the nation’s most important document.

“All over the country people are ringing bells in honor, to celebrate, our Constitution and the founding fathers that made our Constitution and all of the principles that our country was built on,” said Pam Bullock, chairperson of a bell-ringing ceremony today sponsored by the Bernard Romans DAR Chapter in Columbus.

The bell-ringing on Sept. 17 symbolize the day 39 delegates to the Constitutional Congress gathered to sign the Constitution.

At the time, the document represented an experiment in government. Its efforts to outline liberties and rights for its citizens have been interpreted widely during its history, but it has remained a model for others.

“The legacy of that historical document is evident today, in constitutions of most of the world’s democracies,” noted Wendy B. Scott, dean of Mississippi College School of Law.

Despite changes and different interpretations, it has withstood the test of time. That makes its study even more relevant in today’s changing world.

“I don’t think you can understand the country without an understanding of the Constitution and especially what makes us different from other countries, like from the ground up we established this,” said Magdalen Dobson, a student at Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science.

The Constitution has 4,400 words.It is the oldest and shortest written Constitution of any major government in the world.

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY CONSTITUTION DAY PRESS RELEASE
STARKVILLE, Miss.–Mississippi State University’s Constitution Day speaker Wendy B. Scott, dean of the Mississippi College School of Law, reminded students Wednesday [Sept. 17] that law is an honorable profession.

“When you think about going to law school, remember that you are considering an honorable profession, one which plays a significant role in maintaining the system of democracy that we enjoy every day,” Scott said.

“Every time a lawyer walks into court, it’s not just about representing their client,” said the the New York University School of Law Juris Doctor graduate who also holds a bachelor’s in philosophy from Harvard University. “It’s about protecting the legal system that people have fought and died to establish, going all the way back to before we had a Constitution.”

In his remark prior to the formal address, Jerry Gilbert, provost and executive vice president, expressed pleasure at having “a scholar of Dean Scott’s caliber on our campus.”

“As a national expert on race law, constitutional law and theory and school desegregation whose work has appeared in a number of prestigious professional journals, Dean Scott brings some great experience and an excellent background to her new position.

“We are delighted that our students who go on to attend Mississippi College’s School of Law will have the opportunity to work with her,” Gilbert added.

Also making remarks was K.C. Morrison, professor and head of the political science and public administration department.

In addition to exploring the ways in which foreign law influenced the formation of the U.S. Constitution and how the U.S. Constitution in turn influenced the formation of constitutional documents of other democratic systems around the world, Scott’s presentation “American Constitutionalism in an International Context: A Balance of Order and Liberty” compared the U.S. Constitution to those of others countries in the 20th and 21st centuries.

“The idea of adopting a constitution may still trace its inspiration to the United States,” she said.

Lastly, Scott addressed whether the law of other nations should be considered by courts in the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.

“While the influence of the U.S. Constitution has waxed and waned in the development of international constitutionalism, there is no doubt that it continues to serve as a beacon of liberty at home and abroad,” she emphasized.

In addition to MSU’s Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President and Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Scott’s visit was sponsored by the Mississippi State University Libraries system and the John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development.