Our Constitution is Clear
To the Campus Community:
Our country was founded on a few essential rights that have long defined who we are.
Today these founding principles are sometimes challenged, forgotten, and even ignored.
Recent tragic events and calls for retribution demand that we take a moment to reflect
on the rationale for the creation of this founding document, a document that speaks
to domestic tranquility and the common good of our nation.
On the eve of Constitution Day, we are reminded of this defining moment in our country’s
history, a moment that established the framework of our government and created safeguards
for Americans' rights and freedoms. The purpose of this annual commemoration is to
educate on the events that led to the Constitution’s creation, to remind the public
of the Constitution’s importance as the foundation of American life, and to emphasize
the duty of all citizens to protect those rights through word and vote.
Seeking to avoid a civil war, in his first inaugural address Abraham Lincoln beseeched
us to be touched by the “better angels of our nature.” He suggested that what the
nation needed in a time of reckoning would come from within us, urging a greater capacity
for compassion and empathy. This holds true for opinions that differ from our own,
and reminds us that freedom of speech means the right to speak openly and safely,
without fear of violence, as the Constitution intended.
In a time when divisive rhetoric and violent responses can feel overwhelming, may
we move forward with the type of self-examination, reflection, and empathy that Lincoln
sought to inspire. The United States Constitution has been our touchstone since the
founding of our nation and only we, collectively as citizens, can peacefully ensure
it remains so as we face the ongoing challenges in our world today.
Robert S. Prezant, PhD
President
