Celebrating the Constitution

By Tony Pennington

Transcript Staff Writer

The gift of democracy can be traced to Greek historian Polybius and his views of a “mixed government” which was a blending of Plato’s four basic forms of government: Democracy, oligarchy, timocracy and monarchy/tyranny.

Although it took several hundred years for democracy’s roots to grow strong and produce the fruits of freedom, the United States Constitution captured the essence of a divided government and provided a blue print for citizen rights.

In the more than 200 years since the founding fathers applied their names to the “living document,” the Constitution has been challenged, defended and disregarded. Several studies have reported more Americans are familiar with the “Simpson” family and “American Idol” judges than the Bill of Rights. The loss of a civic-minded population incited several Norman residents to follow Polybius’ example and make a gift of their own.

“The Bill of Rights is the thing that makes our country unique,” said Dr. Charles Wesner in April. “This is a document we should be celebrating and reminded of. Unfortunately, we have taken it for granted.”

Wesner and about 12 other residents were inspired in 2005 by an idea presented by the Young Democrats of Norman High School to honor the Constitution. A steering committee was formed and the group called itself the Bill of Rights Democracy Project. The non-partisan organization then began soliciting funds to purchase two 3 x 4 foot bronze plaques of the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.

The plaques, valued at more than $4,000 each, will be dedicated Monday at NHS and Norman North High School in celebration of Constitution Day. The high schools will be home to the more than 200 pound signs and provide a concrete representation of classroom studies. And NPS Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator Jim Murphree said by placing the plaques in the schools, students may understand the time and investment that went into the project and view them as objects of value.

“I think the plaques can be helpful,” Murphree said of the metal amendments. “As a district, I think we do a good job of teaching students about the Bill of Rights and Constitution, but having a visual, a striking visual, can only help reinforce what our students have learned and are learning.”

University of Oklahoma College of Law professor Rick Tepker Jr. agrees with Murphree. The Constitutional law, employment law and equal employment opportunity instructor, who will be the featured speaker at Monday’s festivities, said the monuments can transcend beyond the schools and impact the community.

“A monument to the Bill of Rights in our high schools should serve to remind us not only of our own liberties, but also our duty to respect the rights of others,” Tepker said. “Recently, political polls show that too many Americans do not know the content of the first 10 amendments to our federal Constitution. Worse, after years of political speeches designed to ‘talk tough,’ too many Americans do not support civil liberties. When students read the text, it may inform; it may remind; better yet, it may inspire thought and renewed concern for our country’s liberty.”

Wesner hopes Tepker is correct as he and the other committee members began the project as a way preserve the grand tradition of democracy. And the Bill of Rights Project seems to have caught on. Wesner said he was contacted by an interested resident of Chickasha about developing a similar project for the schools there.

“We had hoped that this would be something other communities would be interested in doing,” Wesner said.

And now that they successfully have, he said they can focus on helping others with promotions and a fundraising model. They have framed and laminated copies of the Bill of Rights based on the plaques for classrooms and would like to purchase a pattern to make the production of new monuments less costly.

“Now that we know what to do and not what to do when putting things together, it will be easier for others to ask for help when forming their own committees,” he said.