Is Our Constitution Still Relevant?

Matthew Peltier
Mr. Stewart
Englis 12B
5/19/14
The Constitution is still relevant in 2012 because it is a living document. A living
document is a document which may be edited and updated by an authorized person or an
official group. In fact, this is the beauty of the US Constitution, its ability to adapt to modern
day society and needs. This didn't happen by accident, rather it was designed to continually
grow in order to suit the needs of this maturing county.
The greatest minds of the time, our Founding Fathers, met in 1787 at a convention in
Philadelphia to construct the constitution. James Madison, known as the father of the
Constitution, was so eager about the idea of writing the Constitution, that he actually moved to
Philadelphia 3 months before anyone else arrived for the convention. During that time, he
wrote a blue print for what would become the US Constitution. Once the convention began it
took 100 days to pen this most important document. When the convention was over and the
gentlemen signed their names, it was not intended to be considered complete. Perhaps the
most important part of the Constitution is Article 5. Article 5 makes the Constitution a living
document because it states that the Constitution may be amended when 2/3 of congress
deems it necessary. This is why the Constitution is still relevant and this is why our country is so
great. The Constitution was amended 18 times, with 27 amendments- the first 10 happened at
one time and is known as The Bill of Rights. The last time the constitution was amended was it
1992 when "Limits to congressional pay raises" was added.
It has been argued that the constitution is not relevant in 2012 because it's "out of
touch" with today's world. One might ask how a set of rules written 235 years ago important to
me in 2012? During a time when people traveled by horse, not car; when people worked on
plows, not computers; when people worked from the glow of a candle, not LED light bulbs...
How can anything that old be important to me today? To those people, here is an invitation,
take another look at the US Constitution and you will find a carefully worded set of thoughts
designed to respect the growth of a brand new nation. 'Growth' was a part of the blueprint
that James Madison wrote, and growth was part of the result of the convention. Excitement
over the potential for growth, which went beyond anyone's imagination, is surely what fueled
these men.
The US Constitution is relevant, it is alive. It is respected, it is revered. It is adaptable, it
expects change. It is our history, it is our future. The US Constitution is, and forever will be,
relevant.