Program Information

The Constitution, in a sense, provides the conscience of America. And what that means is that the Constitution has these values about how to live together as Americans and respect its institutions.

The United States Constitution has been the foundation for the United States government and its citizens for over two hundred years. Many people believe it is the “gold standard” for fledgling democracies all over the world. It calls for the citizens to be active and for government to be accountable to those they govern. Many historians believe the Constitution has made our nation as successful and as powerful as it is; however, many of our citizens have not read or do not understand the Constitution and the foundation of our government. “Questioning the Constitution” looks at the development of the constitution, how it has been interpreted and questions whether the constitution should be reformed. This one-hour documentary was produced by WCVE PBS in partnership with the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

Transcript

LANE: The Constitution, in a sense, provides the conscience of America. And what that means is that the Constitution has these values about how we live together as Americans, respect our institutions. We tolerate these opposing views, even though we fight like crazy for them. We don’t feel that it’s always winner take all. You know, it’s easy for us to just say, “I want my way. I want my way. You know I want to get this in the budget. I want this. I want my way on immigration. I want my way on gay marriage. I want my way on this. I want it on this.” It’s hard to remember that there are other people in America who don’t share that view. And that the Constitution doesn’t say “I the people,” it says “We the people.”

EPPS: I think the Constitution, on the whole, is, is, is a marvelous document. And, uh, it achieved what the framers set out to achieve at the time, which was to create a country strong enough not to be re-conquered by the European powers. And that was really what was on their minds. Their Constitution, however, was marred by really, really unconscionable compromises which they knew, at the time, were not right. We still labor under some of the effects of those, uh, unforgivable compromises. And we, we need to address it. Our Constitution goes off the rails much more often than people realize, because they have been taught that it’s perfect. And, god knows it isn’t that.

ADKINS: When, when I think of the Constitution and what it means to me, I gotta back up a little bit, because if you look at the Preamble, it says, “We the people, in order to form a more perfect union.” And it begs the question, who are “We the people”? It wasn’t “We the people” Native Americans, at that point that the Constitution was written. But I’ve never lost the dream or the hope. And I’ve begun to see the reality that the Constitution does apply to me. I can go into public restaurants and have a meal. I can go into public libraries and check out a book. Those things are very near and dear to me because in my early years I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t go into public restaurants. I remember going to Oklahoma as a kid to see my brothers graduate from college, and we went to this, this service station, and I had to go to the bathroom. And, and, the bathrooms were labeled “white” and “colored.” I said, “Dad, where do I go? I said there’s no place for me to go.” And I was like six years old. Of course, he said, “Son, come with me,” and he fixed it. But the bottom line is at that point in time, I was denied some basic rights that the other people took for granted. So the Constitution, I love it as it becomes more actualized. I see my place, and I, I defend it.

RYAN: When it really hit me, probably what the Constitution really meant to me, personally, was when I came to West Point. I’m walking where people like Grant and Eisenhower and MacArthur have walked. And here am I, you know, uh a little Hispanic girl from New York City taking the oath to support and defend the Constitution. It is an empowering thing to take upon ourselves each one as citizens in the military, as civilians, this enormous responsibility that the Constitution places on all of us. Because it comes from this idea that the government is, is of the people, by the people, for the people.

SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK (sung): In 1787, I’m told, our founding fathers did agree. To write a list of principles for keeping people free.

STEELE: When I was a kid, there was a children’s show that sang the Constitution. School House Rock, that’s right. It’s phenomenal, uh, and I, how that left an imprint, still to this day.

SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK (sung): We the people,

STEEL AND SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK (sung): “in order to form a more perfect union…”

SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK (sung): Establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility…

STEELE: I love it. It’s good stuff. I think the times we live in now, where there’s so much going on, and there’s so much hankering to change the Constitution, to do this to the Constitution, I think people need to fundamentally understand and appreciate it for what it is, as it is.

SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK (sung): … for the United States of America…

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