The US Constitution Patriot Challenge below is short, simple and commonsense:
Read or listen to the entire Constitution of the United States and all 27 Amendments at least once in your life before you quote from it or reference it again.
Critical Questions You Must Now Ask Yourself
- Do you consider yourself an American Patriot?
- Have you ever read or listened to the US Constitution all the way through, including all 27 amendments, even once in your life?
- Have you taken an oath of office? “Every new Federal employee, including the President, is required by law to take an oath to support and defend the Constitution. The Oath of Office will be administered on your first day of employment.”[1]
- If you’ve never actually read the US Constitution even once, are you willing to finally read it now?
Each of us must fix this glaring inconsistency right away. Read or listen to the US Constitution at least once in your life. Don’t skip this any longer, especially if you are an American Patriot or have sworn an oath like below.
“I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”[2]
It will take you under one hour to read the US Constitution, and you can do it in your car or with an earbud.
Start The US Patriot Challenge Now
1. Read or Listen to the entire US Constitution and All Amendments
- US Constitution Video on YouTube
- US Constitution Audio Download – Listen on SoundCloud
- Read the Transcription – Provided by The National Constitution Center
- Read on The Interactive Constitution Mobile App: Apple iOS or Google
2. Add your name to the comments at the bottom or on the Facebook Page
3. Share the US Constitution Patriot Challenge with Others
A Note About Listening to the Constitution
It may be helpful to have a written transcription of the Constitution open as you listen, one that identifies which original sections have been replaced due to a Constitutional Amendment. The transcription linked to above puts all language that has been changed by an amendment in brackets. And this one from The National Archives puts those sections in blue with links to see more info about the amendment that changed it.
Make the Effort First. Earn Your Place in Conversations
Americans — Before you next hold up a sign with your favorite amendment or the words “We The People,” before you next declare, “It is my fundamental right according to the US Constitution,” or before you appeal to others with, “as our Founding Fathers said,” first let all the real words of this most sacred historical document actually become part of your knowledge and experience. Stop skipping and start doing.
Have You Ever Actually Read Your Own Constitution?
A poll taken by Marquette University Law School asked this question: “Have you personally ever read the entire Constitution, either in school or on your own?” The results of the survey revealed that 57% of the Americans polled haven’t read the Constitution.
Take the “Have You Read It?” Constitution Survey Below
US Constitution Audio Download – Listen Here
Listen below or easily download this audio reading of the US Constitution by clicking the arrow on the Pilgrimage SoundCloud file.
The audio file contains the full Constitution of the United States including:
- Preamble to the Constitution
- All Articles of the Constitution
- Names of Who Signed the Constitution
- All 27 US Constitution Amendments
Become an Informed Citizen – Read The Constitution
“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy
One idea of what you can do for your country:
Read or listen to America’s most sacred document, learn the absolute basics of how the USA operates, and begin contributing to your country as an informed citizen of the United States of America.
How Long Is The US Constitution?
The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration notes that the United States Constitution “has 4,543 words, including the signatures but not the certificate on the interlineations; and takes about half an hour to read.” [1] When you add the 27 amendments to the Constitution, it will take another 20 minutes. So at a modest pace, you can confidently make it through the entire document, all names that signed it and all amendments in under one hour.
Reading The US Constitution is an American Duty
Take the most important step you could ever take toward future conversations, debates, arguments, elections and our way of life. Read or listen to the US Constitution and all of its amendments.
For the sake of our country, the way we speak with one another, how we treat our neighbors, our place in the world and the decisions we’ll make on how to run our nation, take the first basic step toward understanding. Read the Constitution of the United States, or at the very least, let someone else read it to you.
Demonstrate Patriotism: Give One Hour to the US Constitution
King Solomon — whom many praise for his wisdom — importantly said, “Do not have zeal without knowledge, not be hasty and miss the way.” [2]
Upload the knowledge to your brain by reading it before you quote it. The same standard would be awesome for all sacred documents we quote, but rarely fully read. Once you have that knowledge, then share your passion. Anything short of that is zeal without knowledge.
American Patriot Priority Check
Many of us have completed the entire Harry Potter series (a 60-hour project [3]) but have never fully read our own US Constitution and all amendments (a 1-hour project). I’ve certainly been in that boat for all of my life until 2020. What was I thinking?! Clearly, I wasn’t. For the sake of our country’s health, let’s double-check our priorities and make a change toward a more informed America.
Audio Read By: Jeremy Kocal
Go Even Further: Read the Declaration of Independence
Do the basics and up your game American patriot. Read or listen to the other essential document to understanding the American way of life. Take the US Constitution Patriot Challenge one step further and read or listen to the Declaration of Independence.
Did You Complete the Challenge?
You’ve read the entire Constitution of the United States and all amendments? How patriotic of you American! Add your name in the comments below as an official “Reader of the US Constitution.” And be sure to share the challenge with other Americans!
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