[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3175-3176]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    THE AMERICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT

  Mr. OTTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the vacated 
time of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

[[Page 3176]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Idaho?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Otter) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. OTTER. Mr. Speaker, in ``The Glorious Quest,'' James R. Evans 
wrote, ``No historian of the future will ever be able to prove that the 
ideas of individual liberty practiced in the United States of America 
were a failure. He may be able to prove that we were not yet worthy of 
them. The choice is ours.''
  I bring this to our attention, Mr. Speaker, because recently in a 
poll that was revealed by the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum, a 
survey found out that on questions on the first amendment, one American 
in a thousand could name all five of the freedoms in the first 
amendment to the Constitution. However, in that same survey, 69 percent 
of those surveyed knew who the five members of the TV cartoon family 
``The Simpsons'' was. They knew and could name all five members of the 
Simpson family.
  I bring this to our attention because now more than ever, Mr. Evans' 
words ought to ring clear to us. And in that glorious quest that he 
talked about, educating ourselves and then using that education for 
political action was one of the most important things that we could do 
as Americans to sustain our form of government.
  I bring this to our attention as well, because oftentimes I relish 
the opportunity to speak to students in my district, especially those 
in the honors government class. Invariably when I ask those students, 
whether they be high school seniors not too far off from casting their 
first vote to sustain this Republic, or to college freshmen somewhere 
in the curriculum, I ask them: Where do your freedoms come from? What 
are the source of your freedoms?
  Many times they will raise their hand and say it is the first 10 
amendments to the Constitution. Only one in a thousand can name the 
five freedoms in the First Amendment. Those students are sorely fit, I 
would say, to go forward and lead this great Nation under our 
constitutional form of government, because, as I usually explain to 
them, actually the 10 amendments are a document of prohibition, not a 
document of establishment of freedoms. That is your birthright from 
when you were born.
  That was the great magic of the Founding Fathers. For the first time, 
they elevated the individual above the crown, above the king, above 
royalty, above all else except he who created them. For the first time, 
the individual was elevated higher than anyone else on this Earth.
  If I might, let me briefly read from the first 10 amendments. 
Amendment I: The prohibition. Congress shall make no laws.
  Amendment II: Shall not be infringed.
  Amendment III: Without the consent of the owner.
  Amendment IV: The right of the people shall not be violated.
  Amendment V: No person shall be held, nor shall any person be 
subjected, nor shall any person be compelled, nor shall any person be 
deprived, nor shall any private property be taken without just 
compensation.
  Finally, amendment VIII: Shall not be required, nor excessive fines 
imposed, nor crucial and unusual punishment inflicted.
  These are all documents of prohibition because they recognize that 
the first 10 amendments were not the source of our freedom. That is our 
birthright. These are documents of prohibition against government 
action.
  So if only one in a thousand can tell us what those first five 
freedoms are, how can they establish, then, the freedom of speech and 
religion and press, and freedom to address the government with our 
grievances; and finally, the freedom of assembly. Two of the most 
important elements, at one time or another, to resist our government.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I conclude by pointing once again to one of the 
Founding Fathers, which I often do, maybe to the boredom of some, but 
it was Ben Franklin, as he walked out of a little church in 
Philadelphia, who was asked by a citizen, Mr. Franklin, what form of 
government have you given us?
  And he said, Madam, we have given you a republic. And it will fall to 
each and every generation to defend, to sustain, and to improve it.
  Mr. Speaker, with the results of that poll, I would tell you that we 
are tardy in our work and we need to pick up the speed and educate our 
people as to the form of government that we got.

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