Constitution Day (September 17) commemorates the 1787 signing of
the document that established the United States of America. But
like the victim of a terrible accident, the government that was
formed that historic day in Philadelphia is hardly recognizable
today, and the heart that propelled it — the principle of
individual rights — is on life support. Ironically, what started
as a government of radically limited powers now mandates that
the nation’s schools “hold an educational program on the United
States Constitution” on the holiday of its signing. In fact, the
best “educational program” comes from James Madison, the man who
scoured political thought and history to create the blueprint
for our government, earning him the title “father of the
Constitution.” He has a crucial lesson for us on property
rights. To prepare for his lesson, let’s contrast today’s
treatment of our First Amendment rights with that of property
rights. People would be shocked if the president of the United
States said: “I do think at