The Bicentennial of the U.s. Constitution
| Publication year | 1987 |
| Pages | 29 |
1987, January, Pg. 29. The Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution
September 17, 1987, will mark the 200th anniversary of the United States Constitution. To some, this will be a momentous occasion; to others, the typical response might be, "so what!" The goal of the Colorado Bar Association Bicentennial Committee is to turn the "so what" into an enthusiastic response. The Committee intends to make the Bicentennial a memorable event for as many Colorado residents as possible. During the past three years, the Committee has planned, discussed and facilitated ideas and projects aimed at celebrating the Bicentennial in Colorado.
Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren E. Burger chairs the U.S. Commission on the Bicentennial and has said that planning the Bicentennial of the Constitution "is more important" than staying on the Supreme Court.(fn1) Such an esteemed representative can only bring dignity, strength and prestige to the celebration, and the federal Commission plans several exciting activities. According to Burger, the major goal of the Constitution is:
to stimulate activity by thousands of communities and organizations nationwide to heighten awareness and deepen understanding of our constitution, the freedoms it guarantees, and the civic responsibilities necessary to its preservation, and vitality; in short, . . . to provide "a history and civics lesson for all of us."
James Reston paraphrases Burger's comments as follows:
But what I think the Chief Justice is saying is that the people have forgotten to remember; that they are so battered by bad news every day that they have forgotten the foundation of the Constitution. . . . Please, he's saying, pay attention to the good news of our history at a time and on an occasion when they might listen. You owe it to your children, who will have to carry the constitution into the next century.(fn2)
President Ronald Reagan also has joined the many voices encouraging a nationwide observance of the Bicentennial. He intends to read from the Preamble to the Constitution on nationwide radio on September 17, 1987.
State and national groups across the United States are in the midst of furious activity in preparation for the Bicentennial. For example, We the People 200, a Philadelphia group, is...
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