Reply #38: What words in the Constitution are important to me? [View All]

The entire document. It lays out how our nation operates, how our government works, how federal elected officials are selected, and what the powers and restrictions on the government are. In its amendments, many things get clarified on each of those issues, and our rights are described and further restrictions on the national government are imposed.

I guess I don't understand your question? Everything in the Constitution is important, and understanding it is crucial to our understanding of our political system. Without that understanding, people can have mistaken ideas of how the federal government functions.

Many people wrongly believe, for example, that our nation is founded on Christian principles, even though no reference to any deity is made in our Constitution. Many people wrongly believe that the oath of office of our President and other officials includes, "under God." Many people wrongly believe that the President can make laws and set our budget. There are so many things that people are confused about that would be corrected if they read and understood the Constitution.

The Constitution is not a document of the left or the right. It is a document for all citizens of the United States of America. It is the framework of our system of government and our guarantee of a number of our rights as citizens of this nation. Why would a US Citizen not want to be familiar with that document?

I'm not sure what you're implying with your question of what parts of the Constitution are important to me. The entire document is. It is what the United States of America is about. Understanding what it says, how it has been changed, and how it works is central to understanding what is going on today, what has gone on in history, and what we should expect for the future.

What words in the Constitution are NOT important? I can't think of any. Can you?