It’s Constitution Day, the anniversary of the day our founders completed signing the revolutionary document in 1787.

Revolutionary it was.  The new government was not only a new government, it was a new form of government, vesting the power not in a King but instead vesting the power of the government with the people.  As President Lincoln later described it: a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”  The Constitution, in its genius, separates the power of government into three branches—each to serve as a check on the others.  

This year, during the second Trump administration, our Constitution is being tested every single day and in every way imaginable.  I have written to you often about those attacks on our Constitution.  We see attacks on the rights and privileges our Constitution guarantees for citizens—from freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religion to freedom to travel to citizenship itself.  We see attacks on the separation of powers and the role of the Congress and the courts—from failing to execute the laws the Congress has passed to rejecting the decisions of the courts.  And, sadly, we have seen this Republican-led Congress let it happen.

But we see something else in the streets.  We see Americans from every corner of the country standing up for our country and our Constitution.  From the “No Kings” rallies to letters to the editor, Americans are speaking up and speaking out.  I have met with so many people who are not giving up and not giving in, some—young and old—getting involved in politics for the very first time.

And at a scary time.  This year, as we have witnessed the increased attack on our constitution, we also see escalating attacks on our citizens.  Dangerous rhetoric and actions have turned political disagreements into physical violence, including assassinations, arson, threats, and intimidation.  There is no place for this political violence in a democratic society.  None.

Every American should be safe—and feel safe—participating in civic life, whether voting, debating issues, attending events, or making their voices heard on issues that matter to them.  All of us must reject the effort to divide Americans, to dehumanize our neighbors, and to demonize those who disagree.  Instead, we must protect the right of every American to participate in our democratic society—and make it safe for them to do so.

At this difficult moment, the stakes could not be higher.  But each of us can and must stand up and defend the founding principles and enduring values of our country.  And we can look to our Constitution for inspiration and guidance, and to generations of Americans who have fought for its principles and for the American people.

Together we can do anything,