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Both the Beaufort County School District and the TEA Party of Hilton Head Island are harmonious after the citizens' group wanted to give students pocket-sized copies of the U.S. Constitution.
Superintendent Valerie Truesdale did the right thing by telling the group thanks, but no thanks. She said the samples supplied to the school district included a stamp that said "compliments of Joe Wilson." U.S. Rep. Wilson was kind to supply the books, but at the moment he's in a political race against a Democratic challenger. Truesdale was right to conclude that "we need instructional materials that are free from any political affiliation."
At the same time, the district was able to fulfill the wishes of the citizens' group by purchasing copies for the students from the U.S. Printing Office.
Kate Keep, founder of the TEA Party Hilton Head, said, "The whole purpose was our desire to put pocket Constitutions and the Declaration of Independence in the hands of students, and it is happening. I'm thrilled to death."
But we would not want anyone to come away from this episode thinking it never dawned on the schools to teach the Constitution, or that citizens have never helped.
The Constitution is taught and tested at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Educators see that as their job.
But in 2004, in what some saw as an unconstitutional move, Congress mandated that every school and college that receives federal money must teach about the Constitution on Sept. 17, the day the document was adopted in 1787.
That provision was slipped into a budget bill by the late Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., in frustration at what he called the ignorance of many Americans about history. But as The Associated Press reported at the time: "Historically, the federal government has avoided dictating what or when anything must be taught because those powers rest with the states under the 10th Amendment."
Nevertheless, Sept. 17 became known as "Constitution and Citizenship Day," taking over for what Congress had designated "Citizenship Day" in 1952.
State law mandates that schools teach the Federalist Papers, the Constitution or the Delcaration of Independence on Veterans Day.
Locally, the Daughters of the American Revolution chapters have long helped reinforce the schools in teaching the Constitution. The DAR has sponsored essay contests in local schools, taken area students on an annual pilgrimage to the tomb of Declaration of Independence signer Thomas Heyward Jr. in Jasper County, and thrown a Constitution Day birthday party each year with elementary school children at Town of Hilton Head Island Town Hall.
The area's schools have worked hard to bring the Constitution to life.
One year, the "Mighty Oak Singers" at Mossy Oaks Elementary School in Beaufort performed "Shh! They're Writing the Constitution" at an evening event open to the community. Visitors could even buy a red, white and blue Popsicle.
Another year, students at Robert Smalls Middle School looked closely at their relationship with the Constitution.
Here's what one sixth-grader thought of the document's preamble:
"I think that our Forefathers are saying that in order to make this world a more perfect place, we must demonstrate fairness, peace, and a sense of safety. They are trying to let us know that we should thrive, make progress, and enjoy the blessing of freedom and our ancestry. For these things to happen, we must conduct and implant these into our hearts.
"I do not think that our present government leaders are demonstrating what our Forefathers wanted. They are not always listening to those who are crying for fairness and equality."
Thanks to the Constitution, that child can say that and live to tell the story. A perfect union is not always a harmonious union. But it's good to see a wise and harmonious resolution to this latest effort to teach children the Constitution.
