Park University's Constitution Day event will showcase a movie portraying an opposing perspective on the United States Constitution.
On Monday, September 27, Park University will be hosting an event to commemorate Constitution Day. The event will feature the showing of the documentary "Confounding Father: A Contrarian View of the U.S. Constitution" at 3 p.m. in the Jenkin and Barbara David Theater inside Alumni Hall on the University's Parkville Campus. Admission to the event is free and open to the public.
The documentary offers a unique perspective on the U.S. Constitution, focusing on the anti-federalist viewpoints that were less heard during the 1787 Constitutional Convention. It presents the story of the Convention from the perspective of Luther Martin, a Maryland delegate who strongly opposed the direction the Convention took towards a stronger centralized government.
Martin, who is depicted in the film as someone who drank too much, talked too much, and annoyed the famous founding fathers, feared the unlimited taxing power of the national government and opposed the continuation of the slave trade and the three-fifths clause in the U.S. Constitution. He represented the concerns and arguments of those wary of federal overreach.
The main arguments of the documentary focus on the anti-federalist critique of the Constitution, emphasizing fears that the proposed federal government would impose excessive power at the expense of states' rights and individual liberties. By retelling the constitutional story through Martin’s eyes, the film provides a timely reexamination of American political origins and questions the dominant view of the Constitution as an unquestioned, positive innovation.
Constitution Day is a federally mandated observance, enacted by the U.S. government in 2004. It not only celebrates the adoption of the U.S. Constitution but also honours those who have become U.S. citizens. For institutions of higher education receiving federal funding, it is a requirement to hold educational programmes on this day. The U.S. Department of Education began implementing Constitution Day in 2005.
The documentary "Confounding Father" is a two-hour documentary that offers a contrarian view of the U.S. Constitution, challenging the more celebrated federalist vision. It sheds light on the constitutional debates about federalism and highlights the tension between centralized authority and decentralized governance—the same tension that has continued to influence U.S. politics.
This event at Park University provides an excellent opportunity for the general public to gain a deeper understanding of the U.S. Constitution and its origins from an often overlooked perspective.
The documentary screening at Park University on Constitution Day offers a unique exploration into the U.S. Constitution, delving into the anti-federalist viewpoints, which are seldom highlighted in general-news coverage of American politics and education-and-self-development material. The presentation sheds light on the fractions debates about federalism, reminding viewers of the ongoing struggle between centralized authority and decentralized governance, a topic still relevant in today's political landscape.
