Ever read the Constitution?

Until a few months ago, I never had.

Kind of a sad statement about the American school system, isn't it? Twelve years of grade school, five years of undergraduate and two years of graduate school, and I never read the Constitution until I took it upon myself this past summer. All those years of American history in elementary, middle and high school, and the Constitution I never examined. The closest I came was in my eighth grade civics class; all of us memorized (under compulsion) the Preamble--and that's all. We spent that whole year studying about the American system of government, and never once, to my knowledge, looked at the source document.

Astounding!

Now, my selective memory could be playing tricks on me here; at some point or another in grade school I may have actually been required to read the Constitution in its entirety. However, my point still stands--I, an American taxpayer and citizen in good standing, had very little real understanding of the nature and form of the Federal government, and my ignorance was certainly no impediment to my casting of votes.

But I can no longer claim ignorance, for I now have read the Constitution, and I made a discovery--it's really not that difficult to understand. It's concise, (relatively) clear, and to the point. And on many things, quite specific. It truly is the most magnificent legal document ever drafted by mortal men. And after reading this magnificent work of wisdom, I discovered what liberals mean when they say it is a "living document"; they mean it is BLANK.

I discovered that the method by which we are governed in America today bear only a slight resemblance to the republic envisioned by the founding fathers. The idea of the Constitutional "elasticity" has been abused until there is now only a thin veneer of true representative government that exists over the bloated, corrupt, and intrusive bureaucracy, nay, even oligarchy. Old King George the third would be proud.

You can imagine my dismay; before, I'd always been so hopeful, so optimistic about rolling back this ever-expanding monstrosity that is Washington. About returning to a truly Federal government. You know what I think now? I think I was an idiot.

Well not really. But I do think it'll take lifetimes of concerted effort to actually shrink the damned thing. To return Washington to the status of mere city, as opposed to the Baal that it is now. It'll take time and it'll take work, hard work; a lifetime of commitment.

I'm not a conservative for mere convenience, merely because I'm greedy and don't want to pay any taxes (although that'd be nice!). I'm a conservative because I believe it is right. A small Federal government, one that is constrained by the laws and not given carte blanche to make them, is proper government. I did not come by this understanding by reading the Constitution--the Constitution validated my understanding. And although I don't think I'm particularly wise, I do know that it will take wisdom and perseverance to return this nation to a truly representative republic. To come to the understanding that we a nation governed not by men but by laws, and that these laws come from an understanding right and wrong, of transcendent truth. It's a long road in front of us.

Where to start on this road? Start by reading the Constitution for yourself.

Public education in America sucks.

I'm just one conservative among many.