Constitution Day is more than an anniversary. It is an invitation to remember what makes the United States exceptional: government receives its authority from the people, and its power is limited by a written Constitution.

Signed on September 17, 1787, the Constitution did not promise perfect leaders or effortless agreement. Instead, it established a system of divided powers, checks and balances, federalism, and representative government. The Bill of Rights further protected freedoms that do not come from government, but belong naturally to every person.

Those principles matter as much today as they did at our founding - but only when we know about them, respect them, and exercise them. Freedom survives only when citizens understand it, defend it, and accept the responsibilities that accompany it. We should read the Constitution, teach it to our children, debate its meaning respectfully, and hold public officials accountable to their oath to support it.

When candidates for office tell you about all the wonderful things they are going to do for you if elected to government positions, ask them one simple question, "Where in the Constitution do We the People give government the authority to do what you are proposing?"

Constitution Day should unite Americans across political differences. We may disagree about policies and personalities, but the Constitution provides the framework through which those disagreements can be resolved peacefully.

Today, let us celebrate not merely an historic document, but a living promise: that “We the People” remain sovereign, liberty remains worth defending, and government remains accountable to those it serves.