What's the Big Fuss About the Constitution?

The Constitution is undoubtedly the most revered American political document as well as the most important. Some quibble as to whether all portions of the document remain relevant in current times, but ultimately the document is the basis of American government and law. It has shaped the America that currently exists and its basic philosophy continues to influence political minds. To argue that it is not relevant seems a trifle silly to me; like it or not, the Constitution is here! Even so, all documents are vulnerable to being ignored, and the Constitution is no exception. For that reason alone, I think it is good that some people in this country are quite vocal in "defending" the Constitution. However, the fact that the Constitution exists does not imply the Constitution needs to continue as the basis for American government and law; it is a reasonable question to ask why America as a nation should continue to adhere to an 18th century document indefinitely.

There are many reasons people adore the Constitution, and not all of them have to do with the governing of a nation. For example, some admire the men who wrote the document, others admire the language and message of the document itself, and some consider loving the Constitution to be a patriotic duty. There is nothing wrong with these attitudes, but Aristotle provides a very different viewpoint on constitutions in Book V of "Politics" which I'd like to quickly mention. Essentially, Aristotle says that a state where an existing constitution is not adhered to is likely to experience a change in constitution very soon! When a constitution is ignored, it loses its strength and its meaning in everyday life; those who want to change a nation will likely begin with discarding a document of nominal but no actual importance and replacing it with a document they believe will be followed. According to this argument, protecting the Constitution (or, in other words, following it closely rather than picking and choosing what is to be followed and what is not to be followed) is a necessary part of protecting the United States as a nation! The Constitution is surely not perfect, but it is the foundation upon which America rests. Those who want to preserve America as it is (by that I don't mean the nation will not experience change but rather that America will experience change in ways similar to how it has occurred in the past) should be for the Constitution. That said, a blind adherence to any political document does more harm than good. There should be a continuing debate as to whether the Constitution should be amended or replaced, and I wish people wouldn't be so fearful of speaking against the Constitution even when their political views seem to suggest they are not strict Constitutionalists.

Incidentally, I plan to reread and blog about the Constitution after I'm through reading and blogging about Aristotle's "Politics." That'll be very exciting!