Constitution Day, September 17th
Madison’s CPC and the constitution are inseparable, thus the remembrance of this upcoming day is special to each of us. We, of course, take our very name from James Madison, the author of the constitution. CPC, Constitutional Protection Corporation, of course, defines our mission.
From our website:
Madison’s Constitution Protection Corp. began with a volunteer staff of like-minded conservatives who decided to take a stand against the decline of our Constitutionally protected freedoms and rights. As our government continues to grow, and the people become more reliant on it and less self-sufficient, people have decided to surrender their liberties in favor of the “protections” the government offers. Somehow “conservative” now inspires a negative reaction. Contrary to popular belief, conservatives are not a group of crotchety old grumps saying “no” to new thoughts and ideas. To us, the definition of a conservative is “one who believes in the constitutional foundation upon which our country was built and who strives to promote personal growth and self-sustainability, using honest and ethical means with minimal government involvement and obstruction.” In other words, being an honest and responsible grownup while exercising our Constitutional rights.
Those of us who see ourselves as Constitutional conservatives are, generally speaking, very poor at communicating our understanding of constitutional principles and how they directly affect people’s everyday lives. We typically spout how we need to return to the Constitution, and hold our three governmental branches to the enumerated powers, yet we fail to explain how that improves each of our lives. We allow progressives to define us as stodgy , grumpy old fogeys stuck in the past.
In reality, most of the problems in our past come from progressives attacking and “fixing” perceived problems and then fixing the real problems caused by their intervention. We can only solve and break this cycle through education and direct application in our lives.
My novel “Spare Time” attempts to in an entertaining way, to show us the way back to the first principles of the nation. Conservatives typically just go to work, raise our families and leave well enough alone. We were never intended to live in a bubble in this way. We were and are to be good neighbors, caring for those around us and helping as we see the need. One of those needs is teaching others.
That leads to two more projects that are close to my heart, Founder’s Keep and The Convention of States Project.
Founder’s Keep is a relatively new organization whose mission is one of education in the community and schools.
Their mission statement from http://founderskeep.org
The mission of the Founders Keep organization is to inform and educate individuals and groups of all ages as to the principles and vision of the Founding Fathers and the documents they created in the formation of the United States of America; to foster an interest and understanding of the fundamental foundations of Liberty; To encourage the reading, exploration, examination, and application of the principles within those documents; to become knowledgeable of the basic rights and function of our government; and to rekindle an affection, patriotism and respect for their nation by providing educational material, instruction and direction.
Founder’s keep is just this fall prepared to open up chapters in local communities all over the nation to fulfill this mission. I would encourage you to check them out and become involved.
The Convention of States Project is another opportunity for each of us.
From www.conventionofstates.com:
Citizens concerned for the future of their country, under a federal government that’s increasingly bloated, corrupt, reckless and invasive, have a constitutional option. We can call a Convention of States to return the country to its original vision of a limited federal government that is of, by and for the people.
The framers specifically added Article V provisions for the people and the states to stop a centralized government they understood would never restrain itself. Again, there are opportunities for each of us to help at the local, state and federal level.
On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the document they had created. This is an important day for all Americans to observe. We would encourage you to look in your local area for events to attend with your family. Celebrate Constitution Day through activities, education, parades and demonstrations of our Love for the United States of America. While we as individuals and as a nation may be flawed, we all benefit greatly from the blessings of freedom our founding fathers secured for us.
Stop complaining, stop making excuses and casting blame. We all can find the spare time to make a difference.