Sep 17th, 2014
Constitution Day was commemorated Sept. 17 at Jackson State Community College. Approximately 25 students and a number of faculty and staff gathered in the Student Union Building to hear Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist and State Representative Lowe Finney give their thoughts about important aspects of our countrys constitution.
Mayor Gist spoke most specifically about the provision for states rights in the constitution. He mentioned how the first three articles pertain to the powers of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the government and how they are to work together to determine the law of the land. He then mentioned how the fourth article speaks to the rights of individual states and how they interact with the federal government. Gist stated the importance of having this system of checks and balances and having the provision to govern at the local level.
Representative Finney expressed the importance of due process. Finney used the example of review processes utilized by many organizations such as JSCC, the judicial system and other businesses that give individuals the right to appeal charges that may have been made against them. Such charges might be a speeding ticket or circumstances that lead them to being suspended or losing a job. The idea of due process is provided for in our constitution, he stated.
Both Gist and Finney spoke to how the constitution has evolved and how we are still figuring it out as Finney put it. They both answered a number of questions ranging from things such as what constitutional provisions they would like to see in place to threats they perceive to our individual liberties and the potential future of our constitution.
At the end of the program, Mayor Gist read a proclamation from the city and county mayors that proclaimed the week of Sept. 15, 2014 a time that a number of things would be done to ensure the observance of the federally recognized Constitution Day. The proclamation was presented to and accepted by associate professor, Abby Lackey, co-organizer for the event.