SunSentinel.com
January 18, 2011

We witnessed a Republican-organized publicity stunt on Jan. 6. They and some Democrat House members shared televised time by each reading a few words from the United States Constitution. That is the document they are sworn to uphold and the one they profess to “never leave home without.” How can anyone be critical of such a noble event as a public reading? I am.

The Constitution is not like a dictionary or merely a book of historical events. It is a complex document intended to steer the course of an ever-evolving nation. It is illogical to conclude that simply carrying and even reading the Constitution verbatim reflects comprehension and application to current needs. It would be like learning through osmosis. I would be impressed if members of Congress subjected themselves to an open-book quiz on the Constitution. Questions submitted by acknowledged constitutional scholars could be publicly responded to by members of Congress. That thought should really make Speaker John Boehner cry.

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