Constitution Day—September 17—marks the anniversary of its 1787 signing. Students will be taught about it...but not because of its importance. It is now a mandatory topic for every educational institution receiving federal aid. However, what won't be taught is the irony of that requirement, which originated from the man then-described as the Senate's leading Constitutional scholar, while clearly conflicting with the Constitution.

In 2004, Senator Robert Byrd (D.-WV) added this requirement to a pork-filled spending bill that was blatantly inconsistent with Americans' general welfare. It also clearly overstepped the 10th Amendment's restriction of the federal government to only its enumerated powers.

His "solution" aside, Byrd was correct about Americans' inadequate Constitutional knowledge. As one National Constitution Center poll concluded, only one in six of us claimed detailed knowledge of the Constitution—despite the fact that two-thirds said it was "absolutely essential" to have.