Constitution Day

[Blackend]

Originally written by Erin Madison of the Montana Kaimin (University of Montana newspaper).

Last fall, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-WV, tucked a new law into an appropriations bill, said University of Montana professor Mike Mayer (no relations to me; at least not that I know of).
The law states that all schools that receive federal funds, a group that includes the University, must hold programs about the United States Constitution on Constitution Day.
Though the law didn't state what would happen to schools that didn't offer such programs, UM is complying, Mayer said.
Constitution Day will be celebrated on September 17th, the anniversary of the day the Constitution was ratified in 1787.
Mayer thinks the Constitution Day requirements raise an interesting issue of whether the federal government should be telling UM and other schools what to do.
"I'm kind of offended that Byrd decreed this," he said.
Byrd was once a member of the Ku Klux Klan, Mayer said. Apparently he has a problem with the Bill of Rights, but not the Constitution, Mayer mused.
This year, Sept. 17 falls on a Saturday, and Mayer didn't think many people would attend a Saturday night speech, so UM held its programs Tuesday and Wednesday.
The first of the two events was a talk held Tuesday night in Urey Lecture Hall titled, "The Constitution, Medical Marijuana, and the Limits of Federal Power," by attorney James Goetz.
Mayer joked that lots of students at the University are interested in marijuana, medical or not.
Goetz is an attorney at a Bozeman (Montana) law firm who has argued two cases before the Supreme Court. He is also the founding member of the Montana American Civil Liberties Union.
As a constitutional litigator, Goetz's speciality is rare in his field. Most lawyers work for businesses or private practices and don't actually try constitutional cases. Very few ever go before the Supreme Court during their careers...

This was an article in the Friday edition of the Kaimin and I read it on the shitter this morning and thought I would post it and see what comments people have on the issue.

I feel that Constitution Day is a good day for kids to learn about how the country was founded. At the same time I dislike the notion of the federal government trying to implement laws to all states. That's why we have State's Rights and in this case, State's Rights is being trampled on by basically forcing this day on all schools that receive federal funding; it's kinda like blackmailing the schools in my opinion. What about the cirriculum that the schools already have? It's a good idea, but I don't believe a bunch of lackies in Washington have the right to pass the bill without the consention of all schools involved throughout the states; if some schools in certain states don't wish to shove aside their cirriculum for the day, then they shouldn't have to fear losing federal funding, which is already lackluster in lots of school districts in Montana, because the school didn't want to participate in the new "holiday."

[HighDemonslayer]

This seems like a pretty weak reason to complain about States Rights.

Byrd probably did this so schools would have an excuse to teach the Constitution ONLY on one day a year.


Don't forget that Byrd was KKK. Scary white robes ,spewing the "N-word" in public and private all the time.

-n