Mason to hold 14th Amendment discussion in observance of Constitution Day

The Office of the Provost will be hosting a discussion on the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, Monday, in Lecture Hall. (sherrymain).

In observance of Constitution Day, celebrated nationwide on Friday, Sept. 16, Mason is hosting a discussion on the 14^th Amendment on Monday, Sept. 19, in Lecture Hall, Room 1, on the Fairfax campus.

Constitution Day commemorates the anniversary of the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by 39 men on Sept. 17, 1787. Two hundred and twenty-four years after its signing, the Constitution continues to provide the framework of the U.S. government.

While George Mason IV, from whom the George Mason University derives its name, did not sign the U.S. Constitution, he is considered to be one of the architects in creating the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution.  He is also remembered as one of the “Founding Fathers” on the United States.

The 14^th Amendment discussion, sponsored by the Office of the Provost, will be hosted by Dr. Toni-Michelle Travis, Associate Professor of Government and Politics. Joining as leaders in the discussion will be fellow professor of Government and Politics, David Ericson, and School of Law Professor Joyce Malcolm. Attending students and community members will also have a voice in the event.

Adopted in 1868, the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees that all people born within the United States are considered citizens. With immigration law a currently debated issue in United States politics, there are a variety of opinions on the role of the amendment in society today.

“The [14th] amendment should be taken out, because illegal immigrants come to the U.S. and have children that are automatically citizens” says Junior Anna Terkelsen.

Recent college graduate Rachelle De La Cruz has parents who were not born in the U.S. so the issue is close to her and her family.

“The amendment is good in the general view, but there are specific cases where it has been abused and there needs to be some fine tuning.” De La Cruz says

Both Professor Ericson and Dr. Travis have asked students to be open-minded on the controversial issue and come with questions and comments for the speakers.

Travis does not know what each professor’s stance will be during the discussion, but wants Mason students to see the Constitution as “a flexible and complex document that might need changing.” 

Professor Ericson says that students should attend not only because it will be enriching, but they will have the opportunity to be engaged in the “hot political issue [of] immigration and reform.”

He does not know if it will be an issue in the 2012 presidential election, but he thinks it will certainly come up in Congressional elections and is likely to affect Mason students everywhere.