How to celebrate the Constitution
September 18, 2008 | By Nathaniel Ward
Two-hundred and twenty-one years ago Wednesday, the Founding Fathers signed the Constitution of the United States, starting the ratification process for what ultimately became the fundamental law.
We celebrate this anniversary as Constitution Day, and Heritage Foundation scholar Joe Postell has helpfully rounded up resources for citizens to learn about the nation's highest law.
But the Constitution ought not be remembered just one day a year, Postell argues.
"Our Constitution is responsible for our greatness and prosperity, and the remarkable stability we experience in our political life. Where other nations are vulnerable to radical movements which undermine liberty and self-government, our Constitution has been the anchor and ballast by which we have maintained a stable regime. But if our Constitution is to continue to provide these blessings, we must seize these opportunities to recur to our Constitution's principles."
E-Verify: A program that works
E-Verify is a voluntary program that allows private employers to ensure electronically that their new hires are eligible to work in the United States. So far this year, it has processed more than four million eligibility checks, and 82,000 employers take advantage of the free service.
But Heritage's James Carafano explains that "unless Congress steps in, on November 30, E-Verify is set to expire." Instead of allowing it to lapse, Congress should reauthorize it.
"The system has proven to be quite effective," he explains, "and SSA and DHS continue to work to improve service, reliability, and privacy protections."
Other Heritage work of note
- Entrepreneurship. Heritage experts Stuart Butler, Bill Beach, and Paul Winfree collaborated with the Economic Mobility Project to produce a valuable piece of research called "Pathways to Economic Mobility." The report concludes that "educational attainment, family structure and savings are the strongest determinants of whether Americans move up or down the economic ladder." — David Talbot
- Rule of Law. Heritage legal scholar Andrew Grossman writes that housewife Lori Drew is accused of "impersonating a young man on MySpace to gain the trust of an emotionally troubled teen, Megan Meier, who killed herself after the cruel joke spun out of control." But while Drew's behavior was certainly irresponsible, Grossman argues, "it was not criminal" A conviction under criminal law could set bad precedents, subjecting citizens to arbitrary laws and, in effect, making everyone a criminal.
- Entrepreneurship. Heritage's Center for Data Analysis has released an important new report on philanthropy in free-market systems. The report, compiled by Guinevere Nell, James Sherk and Paul Winfree, says that free enterprise works to the benefit of all people because it allows for charitable giving that helps everyone. "Believing that government redistribution of wealth is harmful for the economy does not signify supporting a society where 'You're on your own.' Free markets enable entrepreneurs to become very wealthy—and they often use this wealth to benefit others." Read more on Heritage's Insider Online blog. — David Talbot
- The Heritage Foundation continues to take its message to audiences around the country. Since January, Access Montgomery Channel 21 in Montgomery County, Md. has featured the Heritage Hour, which airs recent Heritage lectures. The show airs Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. and repeats the following Sunday at 6:00 p.m. Previous episode topics include: "Does the U.N. Advance Freedom," "Where Big Government Came From," "The Future in the Face of Militant Islam" and "Real Immigration Reform." — David Talbot
- HBO is developing a miniseries based on Manhunt, the bestselling book by Heritage legal scholar James Swanson. Written in an accessible style, his book tells the story of the hunt for John Wilkes Booth in the days immediately after Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
In other news
- Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni has won her party's leadership elections and could well become the country's first female leader in 34 years.
- "The Australian government has issued its first license allowing scientists to create cloned human embryos to try and obtain embryonic stem cells," the AP reports.
- Morgan Stanley and Wachovia are conducting preliminary merger talks.
- According to Rasmussen Reports, only seven percent of voters think the federal government should use taxpayer funds to keep a large financial institution solvent.
- A Gallup poll reveals that 72 percent of Americans say they have a great deal or a fair amount of trust in their local government. Just 42 percent say the same thing about the federal government.
- Galveston, TX is not yet sufficiently recovered from Hurricane Ike for residents to return, the city government said.
- The turmoil in the financial sector continues. The federal government bailed out insurance giant AIG on Tuesday evening, and the Federal Reserve announced a cash influx of $180 billion on Thursday. Speaking at the White House this morning, President Bush reassured Americans that "we will continue to act to strengthen and stabilize our financial markets and improve investor confidence."
Coming up at Heritage
To attend these or any other events at Heritage please RSVP at Heritage's website. Or you can view these events live online. All times are Eastern.
- On Tuesday, September 23 at noon, author Brigitte Gabriel discusses her new book They Must Be Stopped: Why We Must Defeat Radical Islam and How We Can Do It.
- On Tuesday, September 23 at 6:00 p.m., producer Steven Maggi and director Corey Burres will screen their film "Flunked" about the failure of American public education. The film recently won Best Educational Documentary at the Bayou City Inspirational Film Festival in Houston. Visit the film's website.
Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation. David Talbot contributed to this report.
