Dena and I headed over to the public library for a viewing of the award-winning film "A More Perfect Union," produced at BYU. It recreates the story of the 1787 Constitutional Convention at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It did a good job of presenting the tension on several fronts, beginning with the decision to abolish the Articles of Confederation born just after the Revolutionary War. Penned by states fresh from wrestling freedom from a monarchy, those Articles went too far originally against the idea of a centralized government, leaving the states squabbling amongst themselves. The convention stretched months, with the novel idea of three-branch government that struggled to decide representation in Congress. Small states railed against losing their equal status (hence the Senate now gives each state equal vote), and large states urged true representation of the people (hence the House divides power in proportion to population).
In the end, a triumph of compromise created the document on September 17, 1787 that defined a new government, and with it a nation.
Gotta love the phrase "more perfect union" in the Constitution. What a humble nod to human imperfections, alongside the zeal for self-improvement!
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