BRATTLEBORO-Constitution Week, Sept. 17 to 23, commemorates the signing of the Constitution of the United States.
Did you know that the only place the word "Lord" or any reference to God appears in the Constitution is in the date? Phrases like "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal" and "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"' are not in the Constitution but are from the Declaration of Independence.
Likewise, the phrase "of the people, by the people, for the people" comes from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, not the Constitution.
Our Constitution, the cornerstone of our freedoms, was written to protect every American from government abuse of power.
The Fifth Amendment states that "[n]o person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law," but phrases like "innocent until proven guilty" are not in the Constitution. These phrases come from English law and are part of our common law system.
Know your Constitution, know your rights, and understand what it says and does not say.
Daughters of the American Revolution, Brattleboro Chapter
Brattleboro
Carolyn Handy, chapter regent
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