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JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. (11/16/2012 - AFNS) -- What are
you thankful for? The question followed me the entire, extended
weekend, as I struggled to write this article. It followed me as I
made my way through the historic sites of Virginia.
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Howard Chandler Christy's painting of the signing of the United States Constitution was commissioned in 1939 as part of the congressional observance of the Constitution's sesquicentennial. Completed in 1940, the 20-by-30-foot framed oil-on-canvas scene is among the best known images in the United States Capitol. It is on display in the east grand stairway of the House wing. Photo courtesy of Architect of the Capitol
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The air was unseasonably warm for November, as I
walked through the remnants of Jamestown, Va. - America's
first permanent English colony. The ground crunched beneath
my feet as my shoes pressed into sand, dirt and stone that
had seen the likes of such historical figures as John Smith,
John Rolfe and Pocahontas.
As I weaved my way between
brick foundations which had once been homes, my eyes caught
sight of an oak tree that seemed strangely out of place. It
was a live oak, dedicated June 15, 1965 to mark the 750th
Anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta.
It
seemed strange that a tree would be planted at Jamestown to
honor a document written in a country which unsuccessfully
tried to squash our own pursuit of freedom. However, during
the American Revolution, the Magna Carta acted as both an
inspiration and a justification for the defense of liberty.
It was June 15, 1215 in a field at Runnymeade, England
when King John pressed his seal into a document that would
change the world forever. Written by a group of rebellious
barons, the document sought to protect their rights and
property against a tyrannical king.
"No freeman shall
be taken, imprisoned, disseised, outlawed, banished, or in
any way destroyed, nor will We proceed against or prosecute
him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers and by the
law of the land," the document stated. "To no one will We
sell, to no one will We deny or delay, right or justice."
Similarly, the colonists, who had etched their mark into
America from humble beginnings, believed and demanded the
same rights as Englishmen. These rights, which were
guaranteed in the Magna Carta, were later drafted into the
U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Centuries later,
the Magna Carta is still regarded as one of the most
important legal documents in the history of democracy.
"The democratic aspiration is no mere recent phase in
human history," said President Franklin D. Roosevelt during
his 1941 Inaugural address. "It was written in the Magna
Carta."
The Magna Carta was more than just our
history, I thought as I enjoyed the shade the oak provided.
It could not be left to wither and turn to dust in the wind,
especially during a month when people began looking into the
things they were thankful for. This was more than our
history - it was our identity. For a mere 180 years after
Jamestown was founded in 1607, and some 300 miles north, a
group of men came together inside the State House at
Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation.
From those articles, through a series of discussions and
debates, an entirely new government was formed - with the
Constitution as its guiding light.
"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," the document states in its opening lines.
While some of its framers regarded the Constitution as
far from perfect, they did recognize the importance of its
existence - if not the effect it would have on the world and
generations to come.
"I confess that there are
several parts of this constitution which I do not at present
approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them,"
wrote Benjamin Franklin in a speech he wished to give prior
to the signing of the Constitution's final draft. "In these
sentiments, Sir, I agree to this Constitution with all its
faults, if they are such; because I think a general
Government necessary for us..."
An imperfect document
for an imperfect world; but, from its pages came the birth
of a nation that would idealize the principles of a
democratic society. As I moved on from the oak tree, I
realized what I was most thankful for this holiday season.
I was thankful for liberty. I was thankful for freedom.
I was thankful for the sacrifices made by countless people
throughout hundreds of years to lead us to the point where I
could walk freely across the land and appreciate the rich
history behind it. I was thankful for those who came before
me who contributed to the shaping of this nation.
But, most importantly, I was thankful for America.
By USAF Senior Airman Jarad A. Denton
Air Force News Service
Copyright 2012
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