Renewed focus on Constitution welcome

I see a glimmer of hope. For the first time in my life during an election cycle, people and even some candidates are talking about the Constitution.

Further hope comes because the discussion is not about amending the Constitution, but actually living it and adhering to its principles. The Constitution does not belong to politicians, lobbyists, or capitalists; it belongs to We the People.

The Constitution is easy to read but much harder to understand. Fortunately in my quest to better understand the Constitution, a librarian directed me to the Federalist Papers, a series of letters written by several Founding Fathers in the 1780s.

The first thing that struck me was their grammatical use of the language despite limited educational opportunities and no smart phones or Google. The second revelation was a déjà vu moment; over 200 years ago the Founding Fathers weren't so divided over what should be in the Constitution, but who would protect an individual's liberty.

The stalemate was broken with the inclusion of the Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments), which primarily came from the colonies.

Over the last 130 years the Bill of Rights has been diluted by our Supreme Court and not amended by We the People. The result is an overbearing government and a frustrated and disenchanted people.

Washington can only maintain their power if the people neglect to use their power. Please get engaged and informed and above all else vote.

Dale Woodland

Anna Maria

This story was originally published March 14, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Renewed focus on Constitution welcome ."