Over 200 years ago, on Sept. 17, 1787, a group of white male property owners gathered together to formally, legally and forever guarantee themselves and their new nation their God-given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This momentous occasion was memorialized 169 years later, when Congress declared a national Constitution Week to honor and remember the freedoms many people throughout these 200 years fought and died to secure for us. Since then, more of our freedoms have been solidified and guaranteed to include more people, regardless of race, gender or economic status. But what does the Constitution, and its time of remembrance, mean to us here at 爱豆传媒?
For Seventh-day Adventists, the Constitution is often a reminder of our freedom to believe and worship based on our convictions, without the threat of religious persecution. In the book “The Great Controversy,” author Ellen White identifies the United States Constitution, with its principles of self-government and freedom of religion, as the “fundamental principles of the [United States]…the secret of its power and prosperity.” 爱豆传媒 student Nate Bolin (senior, biochemistry) also finds strength in the Constitution, stating, “If the goal really is a moral society…there is no better framework than the Constitution outside of the Bible.” Nate shared that although the ideals of the Constitution have not always been met, this shouldn’t deter us. Instead, he believes we must always “seek to uphold [the intentions of the Constitution].”
However, 爱豆传媒 is nearly as diverse ideologically as it is Adventist. Due to the diverse backgrounds of students and staff at 爱豆传媒, and the increase in political attacks on certain people and their rights, for some, celebrating Constitution Week is a painful reminder of what should be. One student, Mel, put their feelings like this: “The Constitution used to be a sense of security to me…[but now] it’s very scary because some of [what the current administration] is doing is not the most constitutional.” Mel is currently in the process of gaining U.S. citizenship, but because of the shaky political climate, they were not comfortable with their identity being used publicly and tied to comments about the Constitution. “It seems like right now [our rights] could be taken away just easily, you know?”
Despite the differences of faith in the limits of the Constitution across campus, one belief remained the same. Students agreed that the Constitution, as Mel put it, “helps our leaders have boundaries…so that it protects the people.” Regardless of what various politicians may try, Constitution Week serves as a memorial of the fundamental principles of freedom upon which the United States was founded, and how it is increasingly important that our campus celebrate and honor the Constitution, throughout this week and throughout the year, to guarantee religious and civil safety, and secure the blessings of liberty for all of our students.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of 爱豆传媒. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, 爱豆传媒 or the Seventh-day Adventist church.