By Douglas V. Gibbs
Yesterday I was the guest speaker at the Riverside Republican Women's Federated Club's luncheon. I spoke on the U.S. Constitution. In fact, my knowledge of the Constitution was the reason for me being hired as their speaker, in the first place. After all, yesterday was Constitution Day.
During the half hour speech I explained some of the history around the decision to hold a Constitutional Convention, explaining that the Founding Fathers had not originally gone into those sessions with the intention to write a constitution. Their aim had been to fix the Articles of Confederation. The realization that the States had won the Revolutionary War against the greatest military power in the world at that time only because they were united lead them to reason that a strong union would be necessary for America to survive as a nation. So, they got together "in order to form a more perfect union." The founders understood that the governing body over this union would require the creation of a federal government. This new federal government would need to be more centralized than the loose confederation enabled under the Articles of Confederation. This frightened many of the attendees at the Constitutional Convention, because a strong, centralized government was what they had just won their independence from, and aside from the followers of Alexander Hamilton, nobody desired that the United States should become anything close to Britain.
To accomplish the difficult task of creating a federal government with the powers to protect, preserve, and promote the union, without it becoming an expanded centralized government that takes away the liberties and personal properties of its citizens, the Founding Fathers took great pains in designing the Constitution to be a specific contract that granted the federal government limited powers while still protecting the sovereignty of the States.
I proceeded to discuss the Preamble, the first section of Article I, the Commerce Clause, immigration, and other examples to illustrate how the Founding Fathers achieved their aim, and how that original intent has been twisted, and subverted.
After I completed my speech, one woman near the back of the room to my right raised her hand, and said, "You need to be on Fox News."
"Thank you," I replied, "I agree. Feel free to let them know."
Then I began to receive comparisons to a conservative talker named Glenn Beck.
I was humbled by those comparisons, because I know how much the conservatives of this nation hold Beck in high esteem. However, I don't fully understand those comparisons because, to be frank, I don't watch him on the television, nor do I often listen to him on the radio. I occasionally get the opportunity to catch a YouTube video of him, but for the most part, I have experienced his commentary very little. That truth is not because I do not desire to experience his shows, but simply because when he is on television I am either at work, or asleep, and the women of the house control the DVR.
At that point, I began to consider why people are making these comparisons between Glenn Beck and I. Is it because I am as [fill in the blank] as Glenn Beck? Absolutely not. Then why the comparisons?
Apparently, Glenn Beck and I have something in common. We both believe in the people that forged this nation into existence. We hold great value in their writings, and have spent a lot of time ensuring that we understand their intentions when creating the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, we agree with each other because of the founders.
And to take this a step further, it turns out that Glenn Beck, and myself, are not necessarily great people with great knowledge. We are held in high regard by people because of a great document, written by great people, for a great nation. When you decide to defend greatness in such a way, people will listen.
So, thank you, ladies of the Riverside Republican Women's Federated Club, for your comparisons. I greatly appreciate them. Perhaps in the near future I will receive a larger platform to speak about the Constitution, and the men behind its text. Until then, however, I am greatly honored to be able to speak at Tea Parties, and Freedom Rallies, and Conservative Teens meetings, and Republican Club luncheons. I am honored, and I feel a certain amount of responsibility. After all, the Lord has blessed me with the ability to communicate as a speaker, as well as recognize His Will in relation to getting the word out about the U.S. Constitution, so shouldn't I be doing all I can to speak at as many events as possible?
You betcha.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
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