THE FOUNDATION

“Should, hereafter, those incited by the lust of power and prompted by the Supineness or venality of their Constituents, overleap the known barriers of this Constitution and violate the unalienable rights of humanity: it will only serve to shew, that no compact among men (however provident in its construction and sacred in its ratification) can be pronounced everlasting an inviolable.” —George Washington, First Inaugural Address

CONSTITUTION DAY 2007

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America… Done… the seventeenth day of September, in the year of our LORD one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven.” —George Washington and the delegates

Today, 17 September, marks the 220th anniversary of the Constitution’s signing by our nation’s Founders. In recognition of this day, The Patriot Shop invites you to browse our selection of Founding Documents, including our popular Constitution booklets and Declaration and Constitution parchments.

For more information on the Constitution and related documents, visit The Patriot’s Historic Documents page and Mark Alexander’s essay, “A ‘Living Constitution’ for a Dying Republic”.

All sales proceeds at PatriotShop.US support our Mission of Service to America’s Armed Services, and help ensure that The Patriot Post is distributed to hundreds of thousands of military personnel and students without a fee. The Patriot receives no corporate, foundation, political or special interest funding. Our mission and operations are funded by—and depend entirely upon—the financial support of American Patriots like YOU!

INSIGHT

“In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.” —Thomas Jefferson

IChThUS IMPRIMIS

“All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid?” —Benjamin Franklin

CULTURE

“A constitution founded on these principles introduces knowledge among the people, and inspires them with a conscious dignity becoming freemen; a general emulation takes place, which causes good humor, sociability, good manners, and good morals to be general. That elevation of sentiment inspired by such a government, makes the common people brave and enterprising. That ambition which is inspired by it makes them sober, industrious, and frugal.” —John Adams

LIBERTY

“If it be asked, What is the most sacred duty and the greatest source of our security in a Republic? The answer would be, An inviolable respect for the Constitution and Laws—the first growing out of the last… A sacred respect for the constitutional law is the vital principle, the sustaining energy of a free government.” —Alexander Hamilton

THE GIPPER

“[A]ll Americans should reflect upon the precious heritage of liberty under law passed on to us by our Founding Fathers. This heritage finds its most comprehensive expression in our Constitution. The framing of the Constitution was an arduous task accomplished in the spirit of cooperation and with dedication to the ideals of republican self-government and unalienable God-given human rights that gave transcendent meaning and inspiration to the American Revolution… The wisdom and foresight of the architects of the Constitution are manifest in the fact that it remains a powerful governing tool to the present day. Indeed, a great British statesman has called it ‘the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.’ For 200 years, people from other lands have come to the United States to participate in the great adventure in self-government begun in Philadelphia in 1787… [A]ll citizens should reread and study this great document and rededicate themselves to the ideals it enshrines.” —Ronald Reagan

OPINION IN BRIEF

“On what basis does the non-theistic and practical atheist make moral choices, which include going to war and capital punishment? One might answer, ‘the Constitution,’ but to many liberals the Constitution is a ‘living document’ subject to constant interpretation, re-interpretation and revision to match ‘the times.’ So is it the times that shape such a presidential candidate, or something more permanent?… Those without theological training or experience in faith often find such questions embarrassing because they don’t want to face ridicule from their mostly secular colleagues. But to hide these issues in the catacombs of journalism is a poor excuse. The questions should be asked of both the religious and the secular to help voters make up their minds which ones best adhere to godly principles and to determine what standards govern the ones who do not.” —Cal Thomas

U.S. AIR FORCE BIRTHDAY

Tomorrow, 18 September, marks the 60th birthday of the United States Air Force, born of the desire to defend liberty and spread its flame. The Air Force has been a part of the U.S. Army for nearly 100 years, though the Department of the Air Force was not officially created until the National Security Act of 1947. On 18 September 1947, W. Stuart Symington became first Secretary of the Air Force. As the U.S. Air Force participates in “The Long War”, let us not forget to pray for these brave Patriots standing in harm’s way and their families awaiting their safe return.

GOVERNMENT

“Leaders of the Democrats in Congress have already tried various ways of sabotaging the war effort, with arbitrary timetables for withdrawal and financing the war for only short periods, so that President Bush would be forced to pull out American troops and could then be blamed for the defeat. But that hasn’t worked either because not enough Democrats in Congress are willing to risk political suicide by obstructing the military in ways too blatant to pass muster with the public. … One of most realistic of all the insightful statements by General Petraeus was that ‘We are not going to kill our way’ out of the problems in Iraq. There has never been a moment when anyone in Congress, the White House, or the military has ever advocated anything other than getting out when the time is right. All the arguments, the rhetoric, and the shouting is about when is the time right. Nobody thinks American troops have to stay in Iraq until the last terrorist is killed or driven out of the country. It is a question of reaching the point where the Iraqis themselves can deal with the terrorist and other problems of their country without American troops. That is the direction in which the Iraqis seem to be moving already.” —Thomas Sowell

RE: THE LEFT

“On the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Americans were treated to two starkly contrasting images that speak centuries of difference between the U.S. and its enemies. In Frame One, we see Gen. David H. Petraeus testifying before Congress on the status of the war in Iraq. In Frame Two is Osama bin Laden in a new video—resplendent in white robes, his beard recently rinsed dark to conceal the gray—promising that Islam will subjugate the West. One an image of courage, integrity and honor; the other a caricature of manhood. Then there is a third frame. It is a full-page ad in [last] Monday’s New York Times placed by MoveOn.org and attacking Petraeus’ integrity: ‘General Petraeus or General Betray Us?’ reads the caption. And then, ‘Cooking the Books for the White House.’ The fog of war, it seems, has seeped into the left wing of the blogosphere. One may disagree with the war—and even find informed fault with Petraeus’ report—but impugning the character of the war’s commanding officer while American forces are still fighting is what’s known as betrayal. If Petraeus were ordering the mass murder of civilians, this would be a different matter. But last time we checked, American forces were fighting to prevent innocent people from getting killed. Thus, the ad reveals more about the character of those who placed it than it does of Petraeus. It also reveals a dangerous lack of judgment… The distorted judgment that prompted an attack on Petraeus as America relives the horrors of 9/11 hints at a sinister alignment with darker forces. Bin Laden must be very pleased. He could not have done better himself.” —Kathleen Parker

SELECT READER COMMENTS

(Our servers automatically delete “Reply” messages to this e-mail. To submit or to view reader comments visit our Reader Comments page. Join the debate at the Patriot Blog.)

“Regarding your article on Petraeus’s testimony and the Demo-gogue ‘Retreat and Surrender’ response, what is there to comment, but to say thank you for this article that can’t be topped.” —Branson, Missouri

“Early on in the grilling of Gen. Petraeus, I began to wish that he was more like Gen. George Patton. How I hoped that Petraeus would have approached the dais, smacked each one of the ‘distinguished’ senators silly, told them to kiss his behind, and then turn smartly and march out of the proceedings. The fact that he didn’t is a true testament to his character, training and bearing. The same can’t be said of the pontificating politicos, each of whom seemed more concerned with scoring points and creating sound bites than learning the truth. What a pathetic bunch.” —Argyle, Texas

“General Petraeus is a ‘suck up.’ That is a direct quote from his superior in command of CENTCOM. Petraeus is a Bush lapdog who would say anything to stay close to power. He has aspirations to some day run for president. Anyone that supports this man or believes what comes out of his mouth is either a fool or is also a Bush/Republican party/Democratic party lapdog.” —Nashua, New Hampshire

Editor’s Reply: We see you got the talking-points memo from Reid and Pelosi.

“For all of you Democrats who announced your conclusions about General Petraeus’ testimony before he opened his mouth, King Solomon has some choice words: ‘He who answers a matter before hearing the end of it, it is folly and shame to him.’ (Proverbs 18:13) It would be refreshingly honest if the Donkey-gogues would just admit that they hate President Bush so much that they would rather see our nation suffer a fatal disaster than have him succeed at anything. It is clear that the Democrats have absolutely no interest in an American victory in the war against Islamist extremism. Their bumper sticker for 2008 might as well be ‘Death to Bush! Death to America!”’ —Mankato, Minnesota

“Thanks for the wonderful work you do at The Patriot. I hope my small donation helps keep the mission moving—there are so many to educate!” —Decatur, Alabama

FOR THE RECORD

“When it comes to the ‘money primary,’ Yale University employees favor Democratic presidential candidates over their Republican rivals—by a margin of 45 to one. Federal Election Commission filings from the first two quarters of the year show that University faculty and staff have given $44,500 to Democratic presidential candidates—most often to Sen. Barack Obama—and just $1,000 to Republicans… Charles Lockwood, the chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and the only faculty member known to have contributed to Giuliani, joked that, ‘Most people in my department are slightly to the left of Joseph Stalin’.” —Yale Daily News