Mesa County and Grand Junction observed Constitution Week on September 17 with a community speakers event at the old Mesa County Courthouse. The program, hosted by Mesa County Compass, emphasized that while a constitution's words are vital, liberty ultimately depends on active citizen participation.
Greg Haitz introduced the event, explaining that the Declaration of Independence articulates *why* government exists—to secure fundamental rights—before the Constitution outlines *how* it operates. Haitz referenced Abraham Lincoln's view of the Declaration as an “apple of gold” and the Constitution as the “frame of silver” around it, noting that the frame holds meaning only if citizens keep its founding principles alive. He pointed out that other nations' constitutions, including the Soviet document, have promised rights like speech and assembly, yet these promises did not result in a free populace. According to Haitz, a republic truly depends on citizens who both understand and actively practice their rights.
Barbora Hurd, who grew up in communist Czechoslovakia, shared her family's defiance of the Party, recalling how her mother secretly typed forbidden religious books at night. Hurd described an environment where people were cautious about what they said. She recounted becoming a U.S. citizen near the Statue of Liberty, an experience that brought her to tears as she took the oath to support and defend the Constitution. For Hurd, citizenship involves not only receiving rights but also accepting the responsibility that comes with them.
Ladis Visner spoke of his experience leaving his family and home when armored vehicles entered his town. He spent months in an Italian refugee camp and, when asked, truthfully stated he had not been a Party member. Visner’s book, “Escaping the Iron Curtain,” details this choice. He posed a simple economic question to the attendees: which system truly allows you to keep the fruit of your labor?
Eric Gil, whose parents fled Castro’s revolution in Cuba as children, also addressed the gathering. Gil explained that Castro initially did not campaign as a communist, but freedom was gradually taken away in pieces. He recounted how relatives sent their children alone on planes to secure their freedom. Gil delivered a local warning, stating, “There is nowhere else left to run,” emphasizing the critical importance of preserving freedom in the United States.
The community event concluded with a reminder that a constitution alone cannot instill honesty or bravery in its citizens; that crucial part, it was noted, ultimately rests with the people themselves.
