September 17 is Constitution Day, the anniversary of the moment in 1787 when the great, weary men in Philadelphia hammered out a structure to keep liberty alive.
Most of us think of July 4 as our nation’s only “birthday.” As grand a day as that is, the Declaration announced what we as a country believed, and the Constitution built a framework that protects it.
In speechcraft, there’s the rule of threes:
- Tell them what you’re going to say (your introduction, framing the main point).
- Say it (the body, where you actually deliver your arguments or information).
- Tell them what you just said (the conclusion, reinforcing your message)
I don’t think it’s a stretch to say the Founders followed this formula when writing it; hell, I wonder if they invented it.
Here’s how I see it:
- Tell them what you’re going to say: The Declaration of Independence
- Say it: The Constitution
- Tell them what you just said: Each time a legal issue arises, the Constitution provides instructions.
From a distance it appears the documents are rivals, but it’s not so; they’re not rivals, but partners, one providing the creed, the other the contract.
This date carries added weight this year with the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
His voice — sharp, polite, respectful, and insistent — has been silenced. Fortunately for us, his words still linger, especially on a day like September 17, when we Americans pause to remember the bargain struck between unlikely parties: ideals and institutions.
The Source: God Before Government
One of the many main points that separates our Declaration from all other documents throughout history is that the document is not simply a casual manifesto: It’s the spine of the republic.
Charlie leaned into the reality that the theological claim — “All men are created equal” — isn’t a slogan. What continually stymied many college students during Charlie’s campus visits was the fact that he didn’t apologize for bringing God into a civic debate. Why?
Because our Founders did the same thing.
During one speech, he said that rights are “God-given,” something no legislature can grant and no bureaucrat can suddenly take away.
Charlie believed that the uniqueness that is America flows from this radical truth” liberty(!) precedes government, and government exists to guard what is already ours.
The Structure: Constitution as Guardian
Charlie pointed out that human ambition is what destroys the foundation, causing the structure to collapse under its own weight.
This was his impetus to refer to the Constitution as more of a “legal scaffolding,” a necessary second act because it contains guardrails that preserve speed, faith, and freedom —all in practice, not theory.
Charlie warned that without fidelity to the Constitution, our unalienable rights become nothing more than antiquated slogans. Free speech turns into selective privilege, and religious liberty becomes chess matches played in courtrooms.
The absolute genius of the Constitution isn’t perfection; it’s balance, ambition checked by ambition, and liberty secured by law.
Where We Drifted
When Charlie diagnosed modern America, he was blunt. He believed that our nation drifted.
There are too many:
- “Leaders” who speak as though the government granted rights.
- Institutions that treat faith as a nuisance instead of the cornerstone it is.
- Courts and agencies that continually twist constitutional limits to fit their goals until the twisted limits snap.
According to Charlie, it hasn’t been bad policy that’s been eroding our founding principles; it’s a crisis of legitimacy. When we no longer believe that our rights precede government, then the arbiter of everything becomes that government.
The law is no longer a shield at that point; it becomes a weapon in the hands of whoever holds power.
Constitution Day Without Him
Usually, for those who appreciate the day, Constitution Day is a quiet observance. This year, with Charlie gone, it feels different. Charlie Kirk is gone, a victim of political violence, but we must remember that the arguments he pressed are still here. No longer can he repeat them, so now, it falls to us to decide whether they will be ignored or remembered.
The Declaration provides the “why,” and the Constitution provides the “how.” To honor one without the other makes people misunderstand America. Charlie spent his life reminding everybody of that truth.
His death shouldn’t obscure it.
A proper tribute on September 17 would be to change our outlook to resolve. We must deeply read each document, internally debate their demands, and defend what they declare: liberty is older than government, and much stronger than any tyrant seeking to erase it.
As we continue walking our path, we need to always remember what the left has done for years to break up America.
Final Thoughts
Charlie Kirk isn’t alive to see this Constitution Day, but his ideas — which he defended: rights rooted in God, secured by the Constitution, something that erodes when ignored — remain our responsibility If we forget their messages, then there is a greater risk than losing one man’s voice.
We risk the republic as well.
Carrying Forward What Cannot Be Silenced
In moments like these, when the voices of those who fought hardest for liberty are cut short, the burden shifts to us. At PJ Media, we’re committed to guarding the truths they championed, but we need readers like you standing with us.
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