As we approach Independence Day, Beau Breslin offers a compelling presentation focused on the power of our Constitution and the importance of renewing it. He believes it’s time for a new constitutional convention to make America’s founding document work for the myriad challenges our nation faces today. Breslin proposes we convene this convention in 2037 on the 250th anniversary of our first Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

At the heart of his argument is Thomas Jefferson’s provocative claim that “the earth belongs to the living,” suggesting that no generation should be bound by the laws of its ancestors. In contrast to James Madison’s vision of a constitution built to last for centuries, Jefferson believed each generation has the right—and the responsibility—to revise its fundamental law. Breslin explores what American history might have looked like if Jefferson’s vision had prevailed—and what our future could look like if we acted on it today.

Rooted in Unitarian Universalist values of democratic participation, justice, and pluralism, we are called to become co-creators of a more inclusive, responsive democracy. Breslin invites us into a national dialogue—not just about what the Constitution says, but what it could say if rewritten to meet the challenges we confront today.

Constitutional scholar Beau Breslin is a Skidmore College political science professor and the author of the highly acclaimed book, A Constitution for the Living.

Today’s presentation is rooted in words that Beau has written or said about the Constitution over the last twelve years. He was assisted by NotebookLM and ChatGPT.

Topics: Activism, Ancestors, Democracy, Heritage, Imagination, Power, Resilience