It’s Not Just Another Piece of Paper
By Duane Carter, JD
American History teaches us that when Benjamin Franklin signed the US Constitution “tears were streaming from his face.” But they were probably “the proverbial tears of joy” in realization that after signing the document he, in fact, had solidified a major, immortal and most honorable role in the story of this country.
Somewhat ironic, the United States Constitution has spelling and grammatical errors. But despite these “blemishes” it gets the job done. It is not simply another piece of paper. This document serves as a rulebook. It establishes the guidelines as to what is acceptable government behavior and what is not.
What makes this paper such an incredible piece of work, in my opinion, is that the Founding Fathers were able to draft a document that could “handle” basically any event, matter or issue within the future, by and through the incorporation of the Ninth Amendment.
These men realized that they did not have a “crystal ball,” and knew with the passage of time, the country would inevitably often go through dramatic and near unbelievable change(s). Through their acute foresightfulness though the men incorporated the later named amendment to address any future contingency.
As a result: a document written in 1787 can now be read in 2026 so as to possibly resolve or litigate the merits and constitutionality of same sex marriages, stem-cell research, the legitimacy of Ai, in-vitro fertilization, ad infinitum. It is the document’s flexibility or “elasticity,” alone that makes the constitution a masterpiece.
When discussing the US Constitution, I always tell my students the story about President Franklin D. Roosevelt being informed by his advisors, on December 7, 1941, that Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor. Shortly, thereafter, one of the then major or primary objectives of our former president was to safeguard the US Constitution. “FDR” subsequently had the document transported, under military escort, from Washington, D.C. to Fort Knox in Kentucky, a military base that universally is considered impregnable. The apparent “high priority” and degree of importance this president attached to the document speaks for itself.
Now and then a nursing student will ask me why we need to know about the United States Constitution. The answer is elementary. Learning about the Constitution, in essence, is learning the story of America. It likewise inevitably promotes the importance of values such as equality, overall fairness, the pursuit of justice, and human decency.
Health care professionals often deal with a multiplicity of issues, or concerns, as regarding patient care and advocacy. Every legal aspect of nursing, from state licensure to a patient’s request for voluntary euthanasia, is related to, or stems directly from constitutional law.
By knowing our past, and in having a basic knowledge of the US Constitution, it aides students in learning what the limitations, parameters and boundaries are with respect to the American Health Care System and their role within the same. Knowledge is power.
Every American serviceman, from the eighteen-year-old Marine Recruit at Camp Pendleton, to our Chief of Staff (The President of the United States), takes an oath, which in relevant part reads, “I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” For individuals to freely and voluntarily place themselves, in possibly “harm’s way,” and face even death, because of a historical document, only adds credence to the fact that the United States Constitution is far from just another piece of paper.
