Constitution Day

I think if you look at the Hallmark website you can find something to celebrate on almost every day of the year. We do celebrate much but there is one thing that I honestly never remember celebrating in my 40+ years and that is Constitution Day. Maybe we did and I’m just too old to remember. I do remember learning about the preamble while watching saturday cartoons and seeing American Rock. Who can forget any of these great cartoon teaching moments! So Constitution Day was celebrated at the boy’s elementary school yesterday. I was invited to attend because Dan was chosen from his class along with two other 4^th graders (one from each class) to give a small speaking part about Constitution Day.

It was kind of a fun short little assembly. They had a few cub scouts carry in the flag, did the pledge of allegiance, we sang the Star-Spangled Banner, and heard the short messages from the 4^th graders. The principal spoke as did the music teacher who is a big supporter of The National Anthem Project. I had heard her reference this before but caught more about it. She said there was a survey that showed two out of three Americans don’t know the words to the national anthem. I guess in my little world that is hard to believe. I went to a high school whose mascot was a BRAVE which was an honor and not some disrespect against Native Americans. I say that because we lived through years of arguing and banter over Chief Illiniwek at UIUC during graduate school days. I know that this argument over school mascots is a heated one in many areas but for me and my personal opinion it was an honor and a way to remind me of those who inhabited this country long before we ever arrived. Anyway, I cannot sing the national anthem without thinking of my High School days where we would sing this before any game or major event. Because we were the Braves and the anthem ends with “and the home of the brave” we always turned it into “and the home of the BRAVES!!!!” and would shout with great enthusiasm. The moment I remember most often was a football game where right on cue as we sang out BRAVES a Native American student came out of the darkness of the end zone at full speed on a white horse and he was dressed in full Native American regalia. He rode the length of the field and it was very moving. I’m kind of an emotional person but it gives me chills just remembering it.

Anyway, bottom line is I have a hard time comprehending how someone could actually not know the words to the National Anthem. Although when I have caught a bit of Jay Leno’s “Jaywalking” I realize that a lot of adults don’t know things I think are common knowledge. (not that I know everything).

Yesterday was fun to participate in a small celebration of our constitution. I know that bringing up Native Americans and our constitution and where we are today with this country could conjure up some really strong feelings. It is not my intentions to stir the pot. I just thought it was fun to spend some time at the school and see one son at the microphone while the other one was spinning around the floor on his back. Granted when he noticed his brother up front he got quite excited and told his teacher “HEY that is my brother!”