Ascend Families

Constitution–Mentored by Garrett Smith

First Wednesday of each month: Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Nov.1, Dec. 6

6:30-7:30 p.m. at Ascend

No Cost. However, my piano teacher always taught me that “life is like a piano; what you get out of it depends on how you play it.” So the “cost” will be family effort to learn and discuss with each other between monthly classes. But on the other hand, even if all you did was attend, you’ll still learn something and add diversity of thought to our class discussions.

Preserving freedom is not an individual effort. Families are the natural laboratory to discuss and experiment with these ideas. Come get the knowledge and foundation of the constitution to preserve and expand liberty.

All are welcome and the only pressure you’ll have is whatever you place upon yourself. I have realized that many people know a lot about the Constitution but remain somewhat ignorant about how governments function in reality. My position as an elected public servant over the past couple years has given me insight and greater understanding of how the constitution is applied practically, not just in theory.

In class, we will discuss both how government ought to function and how it actually functions in the real world; and then brainstorm ideas on how to bridge that gap. Good people are needed in government because many people do not understand their rights. If people don’t assert their rights, certain government officials may take advantage of that lack of knowledge.

A major focus I have this year is to share real world scenarios with the class to illustrate the constitution in action. This class is designed for families. Preserving freedom is not an individual effort. Individuals on their own can have great impact but are unable to keep up with everything going on in the world or nation, let alone the State or even local government. Families are the natural laboratory to discuss and experiment with different ideas. Hopefully there is enough trust and freedom of speech in the home to allow family members to speak freely and then let persuasion and principle win the day rather than authority and power. The family is a microcosm of larger government systems.

Respect is necessary to discuss deeply and it’s ok to agree to disagree. The more knowledge we gain, the more articulate we become, and the more persuasive we can be. The home is a safe place to learn good principles and how to persuade others to reason toward those principles.

Here is a bit of what to expect this semester. I am challenging everyone to read the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, memorize my outline/summary of the constitution, and choose a book to read as a family. The first class will be an opportunity to gauge the class members’ current knowledge of the constitution and begin the overview of the Articles and Amendments (with a focus on the Bill of Rights). By the end of the second class, everyone should have a working knowledge and understanding of the contents and practical application of my constitution outline/summary. For the last two classes of the semester, I will take the class through the life of a criminal and civil case. What are burdens of proof? How do we balance justice and mercy? How do we apply principles from rules of civil and criminal procedure in our families and communities? I choose to be an optimist but realize that it may be somewhat difficult to cover all of this ground in the short time allotted. But once again, there is no pressure to cover everything.

My main goal is to bring families together, encourage them to discuss constitutional principles, and understand the realities of the current justice system. I expect all who attend to be respectful of my time and the time other classmates are taking to learn. I also want this to be fun! Learning is a joy and if it isn’t enjoyable then we’re missing the benefit of bringing our founding documents to life