Sept. 17, 2021, Fairfax, Va.–Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement celebrating Constitution Day:
“America celebrates July 4th as Independence Day because that is the day in 1776 when the statement of principles and grievances against the King of England were published and read for all to hear. A revolution was launched based upon the principles of each being endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights. But most forget that September 17th, 1787 was the date when the Constitution of the United States was completed, beginning a fight for ratification that took two years. One of the victories for the Anti-Federalists was the subsequent inclusion of the Bill of Rights, which dramatically limits the powers of the federal government through direct assertions of individual rights which cannot be abridged.
“Today, that great argument over the scope and power of the U.S. government continues in the courts, elected legislatures and the streets, taverns and restaurants not unlike more than 230 years ago. America was founded amidst an argument on how to limit government. The Constitution was set up as that limiter of majority rule both through separation of powers within that government but also separation of powers between the federal and state governments. All with the guarantees of individual liberties underlying all of it.
“Our great nation is dependent upon this debate to become a ‘more perfect union’ and today the dangers by gigantic internet platform companies to the exercise of these rights are the greatest threat to this very discussion. I urge Americans to not only read the Constitution and its amendments but the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers that outline the philosophical underpinnings of American governance.”
For media availability contact Catherine Mortensen at 703.478.4643 or cmortensen@getliberty.org.