The Hill News

Last week, members of Congress took time out of the congressional schedule to read the words of the U.S. Constitution. It amazes me, in light of the critical condition Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) now confronts, that somehow by some twist of fate she fell in line at the place where she read the words of the First Amendment. The Constitution is the touchstone of every legislator; it is almost a sacred text in our democracy. In view of our reverence for the document, I think some Americans were surprised by its simple, unvarnished prose. Legislators know that legal codes are not great literature. From our experience, we recognize it is not the letter of the law, but the power of its words that makes a difference in people’s lives. And it is that power that we have called the spirit of the law, the essence of what the First Amendment stands for.

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