National Security and Legal Rights Explored Through Film on UA Constitution Day

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama will commemorate the nation’s third Constitution Day with two films on separate days that delve into the workings of the American government and the ways in which rights are achieved. The commemoration, called Constitution Day Movies, will be both Sept.16-17 at 7 p.m. in room 208 of Gordon Palmer Hall on the UA campus.

Each movie will be preceded by a short discussion of the constitutional themes in the movie. The discussion on Sunday, for the film “Seven Days in May,” will focus on whether external dangers to national security justify a more authoritarian government, and on whether such external dangers might lead to a coup attempt in the United States. The discussion on Monday, for the film “Gideon’s Trumpet,” will focus on the role of the Supreme Court in distributing legal rights and whether the criminal justice system is fair to people accused of crimes.

“The September 16 movie is a work of lean power that fully engages you within the first few minutes and never lets loose,” said Dr. Joseph L. Smith, assistant professor of political science and coordinator of the event. “And the September 17 movie is the true story of a man’s fight to receive legal help for poor people accused of crimes. This landmark case led to the Supreme Court decision extending this right to all criminal defendants.”

The films are sponsored by UA’s College of Arts and Sciences. They are free and open to the public.

“Constitution Day is intended to foster a greater understanding of the ideas and principals on which America was founded and a deeper appreciation of our country’s founding document, the oldest written constitution in the world,” said Dr. Robert Olin, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “The topics we have selected to examine are the subject of intense concern on university campuses and in our communities. We hope these films will provide our community members with valuable information they can use in better understanding their constitutional liberties.”

Constitution Day was established by Congress to be held each year on Sept. 17, the day on which delegates to the Philadelphia Convention completed and signed the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

The bill requires all schools and federal agencies to hold educational programs on that day and was sponsored by U.S. Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia and signed into law by President George W. Bush on Dec. 8, 2004.

Schools, federal agencies, and civic groups throughout the nation are holding special events to honor the U.S. Constitution, led by the National Constitution Center of Philadelphia, Pa. Sponsors for the day include the American Bar Association, the Bill of Rights Institute, C-SPAN television network, and the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, among others.

More information on Constitution Day can be found on the Web at www.constitutionday.us/.

With 6,600 students and 360 faculty members, UA’s College of Arts and Sciences is the largest liberal arts college in Alabama and UA’s largest division. College students have been selected for many of the nation’s top academic honors, including Rhodes, Goldwater, and Truman Scholarships, and memberships on USA Today’s Academic All-American teams.