Happy Bill of Rights Day!

It is axiomatic that if you do not know your rights it is difficult to exercise them. Celebrating Bill of Rights Day is one way to create a broader understanding of this critical piece of the American fabric. So if you are reading this post, you are likely interested in knowing what you can do. In light of the monumental efforts of this Congress to grow the Federal government and, in the process, reduce our rights, all freedom loving Americans should consider doing something special to celebrate this Day.

December 15^th, is the anniversary of the 1791 ratification. The brilliance of the Bill of Rights, is that it was not merely an enumeration of specific freedoms, but it was a list of restraints on the government that elevated individual liberties to a level unique in the World. It built on a uniquely western principle that certain individual rights were given by God himself and that no government could legitimately encroach on them.

A close friend who is both a gun collector and an attorney first made me aware of the Bill of Rights Day project in 1999. It was an initiative of the organization Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO) that called for legislative bodies across the country to adopt “official day” provisions. In 2000, Democrats controlled both Chambers in my Legislature so passage was a challenge. Trumpeting the fact that a gun group was pushing the proposal seemed unwise. What was extremely heartening is the bipartisan support I received as a Senator in 2001. Some of my hardest left colleagues proudly signed on. Alas, I was not able to get the Legislation through the Democrat controlled House until 2002 when Democrat Senator Kennedy joined me as a co-sponsor; Harry Kennedy.

In order to promote the “official day”, our legislation called for special reading of the bill of rights in public schools and courtrooms and in both chambers of the general assembly. The JPFO maintains a website of which states are on board and which are laggards. Where does your state stand?

It is not enough to pass a law to encourage recognition or awareness and hope nature takes its course. That is where the Bill of Rights Institute comes in, doing a tremendous job of developing first rate instructional materials and teaching guides and hosting seminars all across the Country.

As you push for a Bill of Rights day recognition in your community or State, your likely to get a snarky question about whether passage means another day of for government workers. In concluding his 1998 essay lauding the JPFO effort, James Bovard states that “Celebrating the Bill of Rights day is a superb idea — as long as not a single government employee gets another paid holiday in the bargain”. Amen. Our less freedom-loving members of Congress who clearly do not understand this principle just voted an 8% pay increase for federal workers to be paid for by our grandchildren. Maybe the civic-minded Congress is just baiting you into taking action.