Is a 237-year-old Constitution too old?
Constitution Day, on September 17, celebrates the signing of the U.S. Constitution by the Philadelphia Convention in 1787. Americans have justifiably revered our charter of government, which defines us and holds us together as a nation. However, the immense challenges of the twenty-first century threaten to overwhelm many of the eighteenth-century assumptions and principles that created the Constitution. We'll review these challenges and inquire whether it's time to revise some of these assumptions.
Ron Miller has been an educational scholar and activist, teacher, publisher and bookseller, community leader, and philanthropist. He received a Ph.D. from Boston University in American Studies. He has authored several books, and has founded, published, or edited several magazines. He has taught at Goddard College and Champlain College, and helped establish the Bellwether School in Williston. From 2014 to 2021 he ran the Learning Lab in Woodstock, where he taught American history and other topics. He is past president of the Norman Williams Public Library and has served on several other nonprofit boards.
Free and open to all! Registration is appreciated, not required. Please visit NormanWilliams.org for links to register and to the following articles.
Suggested readings:
"A Republic, If You Can Keep It" at Medium.com (free)
"America is Living James Madison's Nightmare" in The Atlantic (paywall but free trial available)
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