Of all sad words of tongue or pen

we all know that John Greenleaf Whittier proclaimed them to be "It might have been".

The older I become, the more I stand in awe of the Framers of the United States Constitution. How that group of men succeeded in writing out the supreme law of our land with such clarity, such brevity, such perfection, is truly the miracle of modern times.

How sad they would be, today, to see how Americans have attacked their work of perfection. How sad they would be to see how we have distorted the perfect plan they laid out for us. Surely they believed their Constitution was written without the need for change. And, but for the modern day fools seeking change, we well may say "It might have been".

Of course,  John Adams once made the comment that: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Could the American electorate have become an immoral people?

Or, could it be that our Constitution could not serve an ignorant people, meaning people who fail to keep themselves informed?

I did actual "Man On The Street" broadcasts on radio for years, beginning 65 years ago. I found that most people's minds were locked in on their individual lives, their personal problems, their families, and little else. But I was just trying to be friendly, ask opinions, and the like.

Today, "Man On The Street" wannnabes are out with microphone and camera, asking questions framed to prove people's disconnect with the world. One recent example was a questioner on a University campus asking students about The Bill Of Rights. Their ignorance of this important part of The Constitution was shocking.

Perhaps the saddest words are that we are failing to teach what students need to know to better their own lives and to preserve and protect this great nation