What does the Constitution mean to you?

Have you taken a moment to think about what the Constitution means to you? Jeffrey Pistor, a sixth grader from Colleyville and member of the home school group Classical Conversations of Southlake did exactly that by participating in Constituting America’s ‘We the People 9.17’ poetry contest. His poem, listed below, took home the prize for Best Poem among elementary school students grades 3-6.  Jeffrey was also invited to read his poem out loud at the October 18^th City of Southlake Council meeting.

The ‘We The People 9.17’ contest for kids is hosted by Constituting America, a 501 (c) (3) organization with a mission to reach, educate and inform youth and citizens about the importance of the U.S. Constitution and the foundation it sets forth regarding our freedoms and rights. The annual contest is designed to rekindle and instill a passion and enthusiasm for learning about our United States Constitution and our country’s founding principles.

To read more about Jeffrey and this year’s winning submissions, please visit http://www.constitutingamerica.org/winners2011.php#.

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What the Constitution Means to Me

By Jeffrey Pistor

Age 10, 5th Grade

The Constitution was written in 1787

By godly men from every state who worshiped God in heaven.

It was written as the law to hold America together,

And after persevering they would sign with ink & feather.

They met in Philadelphia at Independence Hall

To write the law to guide our nation so we would never fall.

They gave us different branches – 3 to be exact,

So no one could have all the power. That, my friend’s a fact.

They called it checks and balances, to separate the powers.

The men who wrote this document invested many hours.

The Legislature makes the laws to keep our country strong.

They’d be more effective if they’d learn to get along.

The Executive’s the President, the one who we all know.

He now lives in the White House, with roses to water and grow.

The Judicial is the judges who enforce the laws, you see,

The Supreme Court is the highest- the final of the 3.

The Constitution is something that every man should know

To hold our country together and not let freedom go.

The Constitution had no amendments when it did begin,

But when the people asked for them, the Congress added ten.

The Bill of Rights was added to give us more protection,

We all should memorize it, every line and every section.

The Constitution’s important to keep our nation free!

That’s the best part about it …. at least it is to me!