James Madison's Montpelier We the People Spring 2013 | Page 5

We The People

lier
the tour,
hly enjoyed
We thoroug
ledge,
assion, know
p
r
ou
y
ed
admir
ity to tie
or and abil
m
u
h
of
se
sen
an
together in
many ideas
told many
way. I have
interesting
so I hope
e experience
th
t
ou
b
a
people
re tours –
em on futu
th
e
se
l
il
w
you
tpelier is!
t place Mon
what a grea

While I was visit
ing Montpelier on
Constitution Day
I was enjoying th
e music of the Mar
ine Band when
I observed a very
young girl, maybe
tw
o years of age,
chasing a small bu
tterfly. She almos
t
ca
ug
ht it a couple
of times. She caug
ht it once but did
not realize it and
the butterfly esca
ped her grasp. I po
ndered if she wou
know what to do
ld
with it if she caug
ht it.
I then thought of
our freedoms and
responsibilities
with the Constitu
tion. Do we know
what to do with
what we caught?
Can we hold onto
something so frag
and do so without
ile
damaging it?
The delight on th
e little girls face as
she pursed the bu
terfly was precious
t. How much mor
e
so
is
ou
r
de
light
in pursuing our lib
erties?  

5

e Montpelier
you are awar
As I am sure
ide for
a source of pr
has long been
the
n
he
w
nty. Even
Orange Cou
s, as it has
nd
ha
in private
property was
nce, Orange
t of its existe
been for mos
county’s
as part of the
embraced it
onument to
idering it a m
identity; cons
the future.
l as a link to
its past as wel