darling
15th September 2003, 10:55 AM
So a friend was in town last weekend, and I figured I'd show him around town. I finally had a reason to go see the Liberty Bell and the new National Constitution Center.
Now the NCC is a pretty spiffy place - some people obviously spent a lot of money on it. It did make me sad to see how many presidents have blatantly ignored it when it suited them. All around this circular floor is inscribed the words of the constitution.
Anyhoo... they have this little bit in the museum where you can go and take the presidential oath of office. You stand in front of a podium and face a monitor screen and you're being videoed and sent up onto a big TV and microphones and it's a really spiffy looking setup.
And so the judge on the monitor does the whole "I do solemnly swear... that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States... and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." and then adds "so help me God".
Not twenty feet away, is the part of the constitution which specifies that oad, sans the "so help me God" part, because as we all know, that line's not in the Consititution, even though the National Constitution Center has an activity that clearly implies it is.
I'm not sure whether I should feel amused, outraged or just benign resignation...
Now the NCC is a pretty spiffy place - some people obviously spent a lot of money on it. It did make me sad to see how many presidents have blatantly ignored it when it suited them. All around this circular floor is inscribed the words of the constitution.
Anyhoo... they have this little bit in the museum where you can go and take the presidential oath of office. You stand in front of a podium and face a monitor screen and you're being videoed and sent up onto a big TV and microphones and it's a really spiffy looking setup.
And so the judge on the monitor does the whole "I do solemnly swear... that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States... and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." and then adds "so help me God".
Not twenty feet away, is the part of the constitution which specifies that oad, sans the "so help me God" part, because as we all know, that line's not in the Consititution, even though the National Constitution Center has an activity that clearly implies it is.
I'm not sure whether I should feel amused, outraged or just benign resignation...