Constituting America to launch third annual 90-day Constitutional Forum

Constituting America to launch third annual 90-day Constitutional Forum

Foundation chairman Janine Turner invites citizens to join with historians and scholars in examining Constitution’s 27 amendments and the amendment process

As the nation prepares to mark Presidents Day, the non-profit foundation Constituting America is inviting citizens across the nation to join in its third annual 90-day online forum exploring the U.S. Constitution and its relevance in contemporary lives.

Scheduled to launch on Presidents Day (February 20), the forum available at www.constitutingamerica.org will offer citizens the opportunity to explore in-depth each of the Constitution’s 27 amendments through essays by noted constitutional scholars and historians.

In addition to featuring online essays written by noted scholars, foundation chairman Janine Turner — who will also contribute essays — will read aloud the essays on Ustream. Videos will be available on the Constituting America website (www.constitutingamerica.org) as well as on Vimeo and YouTube.

“It was John Adams who said, ‘Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people,’” said Turner, a celebrated actress and talk radio host. “We hope that through the 90-day Constitutional Forum, the foundation can play a role in helping to educate Americans about the U.S. Constitution and its continued importance today.”

Turner founded Constituting America with Co-Chairman Cathy Gillespie on Presidents Day 2010. “By sponsoring this online Constitutional Forum, we hope to give everyday citizens a chance to really get to know the Constitution and to appreciate how truly relevant it remains in our lives today,” she said.

The Constitutional Forum will begin with an inaugural essay on the amendment process by Dr. Larry Arnn, president of Hillsdale College and author of the recently published book The Founders’ Key: The Divine and Natural Connection between the Declaration and the Constitution and What We Risk by Losing It. Prior to joining Hillsdale College as president in 2000, Dr.Arnn served as president of the Claremont Institute for 15 years. He is also the author of Liberty and Learning: The Evolution of American Education and has been published widely in national newspapers, magazines and periodicals on issues of public policy, history and political theory.

Following Dr. Arnn’s introductory essay, the forum will devote a full week to exploring in-depth the First Amendment and the many freedoms it guarantees. Thereafter, the forum will explore each amendment in turn before concluding by examining several amendments that were proposed but never ratified, including the Equal Rights Amendment and D.C. statehood.

In addition to the 90-day online forum for adults, Constituting America is also launching the third year of its “We the People 9*17” kids’ contest. Open to kids from kindergarten through college and law school, the contest awards prizes and scholarships for creating original songs, short films, public service announcements, speeches, poems, drawings and essays inspired by the U.S. Constitution. Contest winners also receive a trip to Philadelphia for Constitution Day and national exposure through a video and appearances on national talk shows.

For more information on Constituting America’s 90-day Constitutional Forum or the “We the People 9*17 Contest,” visitwww.constitutingamerica.org.

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To schedule an interview with Janine Turner, contact:

Jennifer Logue

McCauley Logue Communications

(617) 429-3080

jennifer@mccauleylogue.com

 

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