My Role in Upholding the Constitution (high school essay)

This was a piece I read on the radio my senior year of high school, 1984, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as the winner of a contest called, "The Voice of Democracy," put on by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
________________
"My Role in Upholding the Constitution"

Walton H. Hamilton, the author of "Constitutionalism," has written, "the genius of constitutions, written and unwritten alike, lies in usage." This statement, plain as it may be, is really the basis for my role in upholding the Constitution. I must insure that my Constitution is used in the proper way; and I must support my government and its Constitution, so that the structure does not fall but is sustained.

It is quite plain that before I can uphold the Constitution, I must know how it can be upheld. It also follows that before I can know how to uphold it, I need to know what I am upholding. The first step I must take in order to sustain the Constitution, therefore, is to learn the Constitution. I must know the Constitution before I can support it. I must know the ideology that spurred our forefathers to battle, such as the right of man to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I must know the principles of democracy seen in the Constitution, that is, rule by the people and for the people. Once I have accomplished this first step, I also have initiated the fulfillment of my role.

When I have learned the inner workings of my Constitution, I can support its theory and ideology, but remember that the genius of a constitution lies in its usage. It is, then, for me merely to know the Constitution. I also must know the applications of our Constitution, the first of which is our government. Once again, I can only uphold my government if I know what my government is and what it is involved in doing. The second step in upholding our Constitution, then, lies not only in learning how my government functions in and of itself but also in learning how it functions with the world. It is my duty, therefore, to keep informed on current local, state, national, and international issues. When I have learned these I have moved one step further in fulfilling my role.

Once I have learned what there is to be sustained, how can I sustain it? I can uphold the Constitution by living it! I must take the knowledge of the government and its issues and apply the Constitution to it; then, I must show this knowledge to the world.This duty compels me to participate in town and community meetings and speak out on what is right. It compels me to be willing to defend my country and die for its principles. Most importantly, it compels me to vote; for my vote is my voice, my voice of democracy that sustains my government and its Constitution. By being involved in all these things, I let my voice be heard fulfill my role in upholding the Constitution. Henry David Thoreau in speaking of slavery said, “if one honest man ... We're actually to withdraw from this copartnership ... it would be the abolition of slavery in America.” This statement is very similar to my role in upholding the Constitution. I must be that “honest man” who speaks out, and the Constitution consequently will be sustained.

If I fulfill these responsibilities, our nation will remain a living, breathing body. The Constitution is the mind of this body. It directs all of the body's activities. The upper part of the body is the government, using its arms and senses to react with its surrounding governments and with its voice speaking out to the world on behalf of the whole body. Finally, the people are the lower part of the body and the legs, supporting the weight of the entire body, holding up the government and the Constitution. If the nation is to move forward, they must lead it. We the people must lead it. Each person, no matter how small, must speak out with his “voice of democracy.” By being that one “honest man,” I can bring out the “genius” of our Constitution and fulfill my role as a citizen of the United States of America.