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

We The People

lier
the tour,
hly enjoyed
We thoroug
dge,
ion, knowle
ed your pass
admir
to tie
and ability
se of humor
sen
an
together in
many ideas
told many
way. I have
interesting
I hope
perience so
about the ex
people
urs –
on future to
will see them
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
two years of age,
chasing a small bu
tterfly. She almos
t caught it a coup
of times. She caug
le
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 our delight
in pursuing our lib
erties?  

5

e Montpelier
you are awar
As I am sure
ide for
a source of pr
has long been
when the
nty. Even
s
Orange Cou
hands, as it ha
as in private
nge
property w
nce, Ora
t of its existe
been for mos
the county’s
as part of
embraced it
monument to
nsidering it a
identity; co
the future.
l as a link to
its past as wel