I commend Lori Falce on her column “Constitution Under Construction: Built for change (Jan. 31, TribLive). Every citizen needs to appreciate what our Founding Fathers came up with so that we could live in the greatest nation this world has ever seen.
It should unite all of us, Republican and Democrat, young and old, man and woman, Black and white. It is a lesson so many of us learned in our civics and history classes some 50 years ago, but sadly is not emphasized nearly enough in classrooms today.
We are fortunate to have been born in or to immigrate to this country, with all its imperfections, a country many have tried to emulate. And much of our uniqueness is dependent on the originality and thought that produced one of the greatest documents ever written. Sadly, so many today ridicule this document as outmoded, but as Falce points out, it was intended to be malleable and subject to change, albeit in thoughtful and measured ways.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of our nation, which George Washington himself wrote was an uncomfortable process that would benefit so many future generations, may we reflect on what brings us together and not so much what divides us. May we communicate to our children, grandchildren, friends and relatives the beautiful message in Falce’s column.
I also encourage everyone to watch the PBS.org series on America 250, so that we can all learn about this miracle, and what to me was the second greatest story ever told.
Michael Contes
New Kensington