Did you Know?

by Paul Waldmiller

Did you know that on September 17, 1787, the State delegates in Philadelphia ratified the U.S. Constitution at the Constitutional Convention? 

 Were you also aware that since that date, American’s resolved important social issues of their time by adding and subtracting Constitutional Amendments? No matter how divisive the social issue of their time, Americans came together to unite and follow the precept of our Constitutional Republic.

 I mention these important facts in this week’s column as we are just over one year away from the next General Election where a total of 468 seats in Congress are up for grabs and our current Government representatives (of both major political parties) often ignore the relevance of our Constitution.

America (with it’s deep divide over many social issues including, but not limited to, abortion, guns, crime/criminal justice and immigration) will undoubtedly take center stage, and the U.S. Constitution’s relevance in regards to these issues, will seemingly-continue to be ignored no matter whom is elected.

Indeed, Americans are deeply divided and nothing shows this more than through the issues raised by candidates seeking office. Increasingly, current Democratic Party politicians are leaning strongly towards socialist ideologies, while President Donald J. Trump tends to hold to his own and unique political beliefs that resemble a montage of both the Democrat and Republican Party positions.

 Whatever political party “wins” the general election in 2020, I suspect that the number of Americans including Floridians who trust the Federal Government (just 18% by some polls) will not increase. Americans only continue to grow apathetic of Government and the courts’ involvement in purposely abusing the Constitution. America is at a political crossroads as well as a Constitutional crisis. 

Before the upcoming General Election, Americans should reflect upon the fact that less than one-fifth of “We The People” no longer trust our Government representatives and the courts. Unless Americans return to their responsibility of holding our Government Representatives accountable to the U.S. Constitution, we can only expect more of our Natural Rights to become lost forever.