What I simply cannot understand is why every school, college, and university in the nation is not requiring courses on the Constitution and The Federalist Papers. How does anyone graduate from high school or college without having a required level of understanding of the text of the Constitution? I am not talking about some modern understanding of how the Bill of Rights should be applied--we can leave arguments about "incorporation" of rights through the Fourteenth Amendment and all discussions of the "penumbras" and "emanations" to a later date--but a solid, foundational course on the basic structure and form of the Constitution.

Could you build respect for Shakespeare without reading his texts? So too, who would be so foolish as to imagine that young Americans (and our guest students from other countries) could learn to love and appreciate the Constitution if they have little or no understanding of it?

Comedian Jay Leno used to do a comedy bit on "The Tonight Show" asking young adults questions about some basic facts of American history and government. How many branches of government? Who is the Secretary of State? How many Senators from each state? Everyone would laugh uproariously as person after person failed to answer even the simplest questions. This isn't funny anymore. It's tragic. And the tragedy is playing out across the nation every day.

So, if a rich person or foundation wanted to "make a difference" (and they all say they do), might I suggest funding courses on the Constitution and the Founding documents in every high school, college, and university in the country?