United States Constitution, the bedrock of our freedom

When a sheriff is sworn in, he takes an oath to protect and uphold the constitutions of the state of Missouri and the United States of America. I am surprised at how many people have taken the same oath, but do not have any knowledge of the constitution they swear to protect. I find our United States Constitution, as well as the people who wrote it, fascinating. The Constitution is the foundation of our freedom and it is the final check to our laws. I think it is good for everyone to know at least a little about the Constitution. Here are just a few interesting facts that a lot of people may not know.

The Constitution has 4,440 words. It is the oldest and the shortest written constitution of any major government in the world. Thomas Jefferson did not sign the Constitution because he was in France, serving as U.S. minister, during the convention. The oldest person to sign the Constitution was Benjamin Franklin who was 81, while the youngest was Jonathan Dayton from New Jersey at age 26. The word "democracy" does not appear once in the Constitution because America is not a democracy, but rather a constitutional republic. George Washington once wrote a letter and referred to the Constitution as "little short of a miracle."

I have always thought that studying the people who wrote the Constitution can help better understand what they wrote and why they wrote it. The people who lived through that time period lived in a world that was not free. They understood what freedom was worth and they were willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for it, risking not only their lives but also their sacred honor. Those who signed the Declaration of Independence, as well as those who put their names on the Constitution, put themselves out for display because they were willing to face whatever might come to make a country where people could live free and raise their children so that they would not have to face the same hardships they themselves had been through. These men should be our heroes even today.

The Constitution is made up of seven articles and 27 amendments. The first 10 Amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. There are some amendments that were put in place specifically for the government and to limit what kind of action they can take. An example of this is the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment protects "persons, houses, papers and affects from unreasonable searches and seizures."

The Constitution must be upheld and protected because it is what protects the citizens. These documents are what the Vernon County Sheriff's Office will uphold and protect just as I stated when I took the oath of office.