News : Constitution Day: VSHS students discuss document with U.S. Marines

Vinton-Shellsburg High School students learned on Thursday that the soldiers who defend their constitutional rights give up some of those rights -- particularly the right of freedom of speech -- when they take the oath to serve our country and "defend the Constitution from all known enemies."

Three U.S. Marines who have spent time in the Middle East during the past 10 years of the war on terror spent the day in Mrs. Steffen's social studies classes, discussing the Constitution.

"Saturday is Constitution Days, and schools were asked to do something about the Constitution," said Steffen.

Each of Steffen's students chose a particular section or Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to study and discuss with the Marines.

The student had seen the famous "Schoolhouse Rock" video that put the words of the Preamble to the Constitution to music with cartoons depicting the purposes of the Constitution.

The Marines, led by Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Gibbs, one of the recruiting leaders for the U.S. Marines in northeast Iowa. shared their thoughts with the students.

Gibbs told the students how he recently was interviewed by a newspaper about the end of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which in effect allows openly gay people to serve in the military.

Gibbs said that while he explained the policy, he was not allowed to answer the reporter's question about his personal opinion on the issue.

"If I had given my opinion either for or against the policy," he said. "My superiors would read it and soon I would be PFC Gibbs and I would be out of a job."

Steffen and her students began with the Preamble. Each student chose why he or she chose to discuss a particular section or phrase of the Constitution.

One boy in the class mentioned the Second Amendment; some girls discussed the 19th Amendment which allowed women to vote. Another student discussed the portion of Article 1 that prohibits states from doing certain things that only the federal government can do (such as creating their own currency).

"The purpose of the presentation was to find connections between those who take an oath to defend the Constitution (the Marines) and the citizens who enjoy those rights and privileges," said Mrs. Steffen. "The activity was planned as part of our observance of Constitution Day, Sat. Sept. 17. Students were also given the opportunity to gain first hand experience regarding the War in Afghanistan and the War in Iraq, said the teacher. "All three of our guest speakers served in either one or both theaters of war," Steffen explains.

Constitution Day

The U.S. Constitution was ratified on Sept. 17, 1787. For more on Constitution Day, click HERE.

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