Constitution Day Celebrated On Courthouse Lawn Friday

Friday, Sept. 17, was Constitution Day in the United States. To mark the occasion, local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution organized celebrations on courthouse lawns across the nation, including in La Grange. At 4 p.m. Eastern Time (3 p.m. in Texas), at same day and time the Constitution was signed in 1787, the groups simultaneously rang bells for one minute.

The Smith-McMillan chapter of the DAR led the ceremony at the Fayette County Courthouse. It began with a short speech from Fayette County Judge Joe Weber. He started by holding up a pocket edition of the U.S. Constitution.

“This little paper document right here I carry around with me all the time,” he said. “In our government we have three branches - the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch.

“The judicial branch is charged not with creating laws, but interpreting them. This is the one thing that should hold our country together. Sometimes laws are passed that people bring to the Supreme Court - the judicial branch - to interpret. Are they in line with this document?” he said holding up the Constitution.

“Sometimes the Supreme Court rules in a way we don’t necessarily agree, and sometimes they rule in a way we do agree,” he said. “What is a little disturbing to me in our country is that sometimes we question, and that creates more divisiveness, in civility and those kinds of things.

“This is a wonderful day, and I want to thank y’all for being here because this is the one thing that makes us so different and special from so many countries over the world. I’ve been all over the world, and they don’t have anything like this. We have to preserve it.

Weber recognized several children who came to the event with their families.

“The most important people we have here today are our youth, in addition to our public servants and ministers - one nation under God. Our youth, you are the future of our country, whether you like it or not. This is so important, and it makes me so happy to do you out here.

“People might say, ‘There’s not a lot of people here and this isn’t a big deal,’” Weber said. “But let me tell you: in rural counties all over our country, things like this are going on in the yards of our courthouses. I tell everyone how Fayette County is real America, and we are the last bastion holding on to what we have. I just want to thank all of y’all for being here today.”

After the Judges remarks, Smith-McMillan chapter members read several interesting facts about the Constitution and its history. Then chapter President Kathy Schatte led the bell ringing ceremony, which lasted for one minute.