September has been declared Constitution Month by the State of Utah. It is both in honor of that declaration and in defense of that important document that The Byway publishes this special issue on the Constitution of the United States of America.
After British troops surrendered in 1781, Americans put into force their first government under the Articles of Confederation. Six short years later, however, it became clear that the Confederation was too weak a form of government and was causing problems between the states. After all, as the articles themselves stated, they solidified not much more than a “league of friendship” among the states.
In 1787, faced with the dilemma of centralizing a confederation distrusting of centralized power, delegates from each of the original colonies considered a revision of their dysfunctional government. A brand new constitution, they decided, would give the colonists and the states enough government power so they could run their state like a nation, but still have an executive leader over the states collectively. The constitution also made sure that no state was more powerful than the other and that fundamental rights could not be overthrown.
George Washington, ever in favor of strengthening the unity of the states and the people, was the first person to sign the Constitution, followed by each state delegate going from north to south.
In the September issue, in an unusual approach for The Byway, four articles set aside objectivism in favor of defending the U.S. Constitution. How old-fashioned! In that way, this issue will be like a modern-day version of the Federalist Papers. A poor, yet adequate, replacement for John Jay, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, The Byway’s editors stand to defend the Constitution: the good and the bad.
These articles will be posted here, online, over the first week and a half of September.
Elaine’s article, “Three Branches, One Government,” reviews the flaws and power imbalances in a modern-day United States unseen by its Founding Fathers. It concludes from lessons throughout history that the Constitution was enough despite the flaws.
Maybe the reason for this is that the U.S. Constitution was spiritually guided, as Karen’s article, “Our Divine Constitution,” suggests. Moreover, might a divine constitution require a more worthy citizenship, willing to model the values of honesty, integrity and accountability? Karen explores this thought.
On the other hand, many natural-born American citizens get so caught up in the flaws of this country that they lose sight of what it means to be an American. New citizens could help rescue that view, I argue in my article, “Why an ‘Outsider View’ of the Constitution Eludes Americans Today.”
Finally, AJ’s article, “Who Is Worthy to Rewrite the Constitution?,” addresses various arguments for rewriting the Constitution: it’s too hard to amend, the Founding Fathers were racist, it’s too old. He asks the question, if anyone were to rewrite our Constitution today, who would be worthy to do it?
Today, America is bigger than it was in 1787, its position as a world leader is more central, and it is more divided than ever. Holding to our Constitution is what keeps our nation strong and united, the same way it did when it was first ratified. Yet many Americans are calling for a reconstruction of that nation. If we abandon the Constitution now, The Byway asserts, the consequences may not be in the best interest of today’s United States of America.
– by Abbie Call, in collaboration with Ari Hurdsman
Feature image caption: Excalibur, the legendary sword wielded by King Arthur, could only be pulled from the stone by the one worthy to stand as king of Britain. Does America have someone worthy to rewrite the United States Constitution?
Abbie Call – Cannonville/Kirksville, Missouri
Abbie Call is a journalist and editor at The Byway. She graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in editing and publishing from Brigham Young University. Her favorite topics to write about include anything local, Utah’s megadrought, and mental health and meaning in life. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hanging out with family, quilting and hiking.
Find Abbie on Threads @abbieb.call or contact her at [email protected].
Ari Hurdsman – Junction
Ari Hurdsman is a junior journalist at the Byway. She just recently moved to Ephraim, Utah, where she is a freshman at Snow College. She enjoys writing about Piute sports, and she’s really good at it! In her free time, she enjoys singing, dancing, reading and hanging out with friends and family.