Lawyers help kids honor Constitution Day
BY ERIN PATTESON, Californian staff writer epatteson@bakersfield.com
Local lawyer Susan M. Gill thinks the U.S. Constitution is such a vital document that she carries a miniature version in her purse.
"The Constitution is an amazing document," she said.
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Felix Adamo / The Californian Susan Gill of the Kern County Bar Association, reads to a group of fourth and fifth graders at Franklin School for Constitution Day
Felix Adamo / The Californian Susan Gill of the Kern County Bar Association, reads to a group of fourth and fifth graders at Franklin School for Constitution Day
Felix Adamo / The Californian Franklin fifth grader Sydnee Purcella, center, listens with other classmates to a reading by Susan Gill on the U.S. Constitution.
On Thursday, Gill and three other local attorneys from the Kern County Bar Association Charitable Foundation went to four elementary schools in Bakersfield to donate two books to each school's library and read one aloud to honor Constitution Day.
This year marked the 222nd anniversary of the signing of our Constitution.
The two donated books are called "The Constitution" and "The Supreme Court."
Gill, reading at Franklin Elementary School, explained that the foundation is involved in Constitution Day because it wants to educate the public, especially children, about the legal system and what lawyers do. Since the Constitution is the governing document for our entire system of government, it is important that people know about it and its history.
"It's exciting to bring attention to the fact that it's Constitution Day," Gill said.
The book "The Constitution" not only explains how the Constitution came to be, it also mentions the Revolutionary War, the Founding Fathers, the Articles of Confederation, the Senate, Congress, the Bill of Rights and other issues relating to the founding of our country.
After reading the book, the children asked several questions about the Constitution, Washington, D.C., and how to become a lawyer. Gill told the children that the phrase "You have the right to remain silent," often heard in cop shows, comes from the Fifth Amendment. She pointed out that all potential laws are held up to the Constitution to determine if they can be turned into full-fledged laws.
Carla Tafoya, principal of Franklin Elementary School, described the day as a great learning experience for the students. She praised Gill's reading of the book and her answers to the childrens' questions.
"It was almost like a lesson right there," she said.
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