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New Law Requires Workers To Learn About Constitution (Federal Employees)
Washington Post ^ | 7-20-05 | Christopher Lee

Posted on 07/20/2005 12:56:24 PM PDT by Indy Pendance

The 160 or so federal employees who filed into the National Archives' McGowan Theater yesterday for a program on the Constitution sat in plush red chairs and heard a five-piece brass band play patriotic songs. They were given pocket-size copies of the country's most famous document, and settled in for speeches from such experts as National Archivist Allen Weinstein and Deputy White House Counsel William K. Kelley.

[snip]

"Our Constitution is not a mere dry piece of dead parchment," Byrd said, "but a revered and living document that has helped inspire our nation to achieve seemingly impossible goals and to keep alive irrepressible hope, even in the face of unanticipated and sometimes unbearable adversity."

[snip]

He said polls show that a third of all Americans do not even know how many branches of government there are. (Three.) To help change that, the Democrat added language to a spending bill requiring federal agencies to provide "educational and training" materials about the Constitution each year to the government's 1.8 million civilian employees -- all of whom, after all, take an oath to support and defend the national charter. Agency officials say that could mean more programs such as the one offered yesterday, which was organized by the Office of Personnel Management to "celebrate" the new requirement with key agency officials. The law also requires schools that receive federal money to show students a program on the Constitution.

[more]

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 07/20/2005 12:56:25 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
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To: Indy Pendance

Is this Constitutional?


2 posted on 07/20/2005 12:58:13 PM PDT by Michael.SF. ("Rommel, you magnificent son of bitch.....I READ YOUR BOOK!! - Gen. Patton)
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To: Indy Pendance

"but a revered and living document........"

Any comments?


3 posted on 07/20/2005 12:59:13 PM PDT by PeterPrinciple (Seeking the truth here folks.)
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To: Michael.SF.

As long as they teach it as a 'living' document, as sheets suggested.


4 posted on 07/20/2005 12:59:33 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
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To: Michael.SF.

as long as it present the constitution as a "living breathing document", the gang of five liberals on the supreme court will have no problem with it.


5 posted on 07/20/2005 1:00:03 PM PDT by flashbunny (Always remember to bring a towel!)
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To: PeterPrinciple

If you're liberal and believe in changing the constitution to fit your agenda.


6 posted on 07/20/2005 1:00:31 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
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To: Indy Pendance

You mean there are three branches of government? I thought there were just two: The Supreme Court and the U.S. Senate. I had no idea there was a third branch.

:)


7 posted on 07/20/2005 1:02:01 PM PDT by writer33 (Rush Limbaugh walks in the footsteps of giants: George Washington, Thomas Paine and Ronald Reagan.)
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To: Indy Pendance

BUMP


8 posted on 07/20/2005 1:02:01 PM PDT by kitkat
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To: Indy Pendance

I'm surprised that any governmental body would want people to have any understanding of the Constitution.


9 posted on 07/20/2005 1:02:25 PM PDT by theDentist (The Dems have put all their eggs in one basket-case: Howard "Belltower" Dean.)
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To: Indy Pendance
If The Powers That Be believed in the supremacy of the Constitution as the blueprint for American governance, the size of the Federal Government would be about one-third of what it is.

Without the Dept. of Education, HUD, the National Endowment for the Arts, National Public Radio, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, foreign aid, often ill-conceived involvement in foreign wars and other affairs, etc, etc. ad infinitem and ad nauseum.....

10 posted on 07/20/2005 1:02:58 PM PDT by tracer
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To: Indy Pendance; Owl_Eagle; holdonnow

The way it gets trampled on by the SCOTUS, why bother.


11 posted on 07/20/2005 1:03:47 PM PDT by Jersey Republican Biker Chick (People too weak to follow their own dreams, will always find a way to discourage yours.)
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To: Indy Pendance
Why not add the Federalist Papers to show the entire picture?
The democrats read the Constitution the same way they read the Bible. The Bible says homos are an abomination and worthy of Gods wrath, but the left reads it and says there's no message against homo marriage!
The right to life, to them, means the right to kill! The right to property, to them, means free government housing! The right to free speech means only they can speak!
Need I go on ????
12 posted on 07/20/2005 1:06:05 PM PDT by concerned about politics ("A people without a heritage are easily persuaded (deceived)" - Karl Marx)
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To: writer33

The third is the liberal branch... :)


13 posted on 07/20/2005 1:06:07 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
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To: Indy Pendance

I would be great if this were a requirement for the Congresscritters that wrote that new law.


14 posted on 07/20/2005 1:07:07 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: Michael.SF.
NO! ... it's gold-bricking feather-bedding idiocy!
"The 160 or so federal employees who filed into the National Archives' McGowan Theater yesterday for a program on the Constitution sat in plush red chairs and heard a five-piece brass band play patriotic songs. They were given pocket-size copies of the country's most famous document, and settled in for speeches from such experts as National Archivist Allen Weinstein and Deputy White House Counsel William K. Kelley."

The CONSTITUTION is not ever "given" like some trade-show gifting swag. It has to be worked for to be inherited.

15 posted on 07/20/2005 1:07:39 PM PDT by bvw
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To: GingisK

And to pass a test in order to stay in office.


16 posted on 07/20/2005 1:07:39 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
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To: Indy Pendance
They were given pocket-size copies

Some body had better check these. They could be Marxist handbooks with nothing but a patriotic paper cover!

17 posted on 07/20/2005 1:07:59 PM PDT by concerned about politics ("A people without a heritage are easily persuaded (deceived)" - Karl Marx)
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To: Michael.SF.

About friggin' time!


18 posted on 07/20/2005 1:08:54 PM PDT by timydnuc (I'll die on my feet before I'll live on my knees.)
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To: Indy Pendance

I've worked with GS workers in D.C. and now in Va...too many are clueless and socialists...


19 posted on 07/20/2005 1:09:54 PM PDT by dakine
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To: Indy Pendance

This begs the question, is the judiciary included in this program?


20 posted on 07/20/2005 1:13:15 PM PDT by thoughtomator (Abortion kills liberals)
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