European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 14, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                200 years of the Constitution americ gears up for Mok Celebration by Thomas Ferraro United press International ust months after the highly commercial Lalue of Liberty Conlen Nial America is ready to celebrate again his time in Honor of ins Consoli Uljon which turns 200 years old this summer. Organizers want to avoid the Hollywood Glitz that showered lady Liberty but the Salute will still include plenty of pomp and pageantry. Irom Philadelphia s Independence Hall loan aircraft Carrier off she coast of California. Retired Chiel Justice Warren Burger chairman of the 23-Memberflariqrtaf commission heading in commemoration Hopes the Celebration will be dazzling bul dignified and const Lule history and civic lessons for All of  educational act Viles Are being emphasized essay and oratorical contests conferences and forums and a Pilot program to improve classroom instruction on the Lour Page Handwritten framework of american democracy. In one Echo of the Liberty celebrations the commission of the Bicentennial of the United states Constitution is asking for help from private corporations. One project is to distribute about 50 million copies of the Constitution in hotels and supermarkets. The document begins with this famous paragraph we Trie people of the United Stales in order to form a More perfect Union establish Justice insure Domestic Tranquility. Establish this Constitution for to United slates of  television quiz shows Havo been asked by the commission to use constitutional questions during the week of sept. 17, the 200th anniversary of the signing of the document. Scholars politicians and lawyers Hope to conduct the biggest re examination of America s political system since the 39 founding fathers Benjamin Franklin. Alexander Hamilton and James Madison among them put their signatures on the Constitution. We need to look a How the Constitution is functioning and How it is Likely to function in the next 100  said Richard mortis a history professor emeritus at Columbia University. Morris is co chairman of project 87, a group of historians and political scientists who will hold a forum on the Constitution in Philadelphia May 24. The eve of the 200lh Annive sary of the convening of constitutional convention in that cily. The Celebration is supposed la last five years. This year it will focus on the writing of the Constitution in 198b on its Calif Calion by the states in 1989 on the formation of Tho new government and in 1990 and 1991 on the creation of the Bill of rights. To Dale 45 states have established Bice Lennia commissions. A smattering of events began in january but Rosl begin this Spring. They include in Philadelphia sept. 17,1987, president Reagan and Burger Are to attend Constitution Day one of scores across the nation Hal Day sept 26.1987, former presidents Richard Nixon Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter Are invited to present essays on the cons Lillion at a Gaia event aboard the aircraft Carrier Carlf. Vinson off san Diego. Ratification balls Are to be held in each of the original 13 states on Tho anniversary of heir approval of the Constitution. In Maryland the Celebration actually began last All with a commemoration of Tho Annapolis convention where delegates from five states in 1786 passed a Resolution calling for the constitutional Condon .c.t. Last july s Lalue of Liberty gala laced with Hollywood entertainment Elvis Presley look alikes and a Bevy of souvenirs emblazoned with likenesses of the statue from Ash trays to Flash lights. Was criticized As excessive Gaudy and even disrespectful we re making a serious Effort not to have what happened in new York said Chuck Timanus a commission spokesman. We re looking for a More cerebral Celebration. But we can t control what a Community decides to do. We both know there will be plenty of fireworks parades  to help protect against excessive commercialization. Congress imposed guidelines on licensing of the logo of the National commission. The logo May be licensed bul Only if it is used in a manner that has historic or commemorative value said Tail Fussell the commission s chief spokesman. He said the logo might be used on commemorative bowls bedspreads and even furniture. A car Dealership or an appliance store could certainly hold a ". Constitution Bicentennial clearance Sale the first amendment guarantees them Freedom of speech. Still an old document has fewer Possis tidies for exploitation than a mighty statue. Although the commission stresses education critics have complained that some of its own activities have been undignified. Last fall Burger himself look part in an extravaganza that combined the 15th anniversary of Walt Disney word and the Kickoff Tor this Bicentennial the commission was also criticized for proposing Hal schoolchildren across America recite the pledge of allegiance together on sept. 17 the same Day it is proposing be a one time National Holiday when ail schools would be closed. Gara Lamarche executive director of the Texas civil la berries Union criticized Burger Lor suggesting that pocket size copies of the Constitution to placed in Cereal boxes. The commission later said Burger was just kidding. We need to Rescue the Bice Lennia before it becomes a meaningless pageant of National be l Congo adulation like july 4,1976, the us. Bicentennial and the recent statue of Liberty Centennial Lamarche wrote in the Washington Post in a reply column Lynne Cheney a commission member and chairman at the National endowment for the humanities Raja of the commission s attempt to make the Constitution available to All americans ii is a fitting Effort since underlying what went on in Philadelphia in 1787 was the notion that this document would belong to the general  Congress saw fit Lokeel the Constitution s Bicentennial a much smaller shindig than the 1976 . Bicentennial. It appropriated $25 million for the Salute to the Constitution compared to $250 million in 1976. Like the . Bicentennial and the statue of Liberty Centennial though this Celebration is getting support irom corporate America Trade and civic groups colleges and Church groups and Federal agencies. Merrill Lynch & co. Is underwriting a $2 million Public television series on the Constitution. The University of Wisconsin Madison is offering a one time course this Spring the american Constitution a Bicentennial  the Justice department is sponsoring a lecture series on the founding fathers. Among the reason thai Iho commission is so interested in education activities is that studies show Many americans know Little about the founding document. Some of these surveys found that 75 percent of adults did not know the first amendment guaranteed Freedom of speech and Hal one in three High school seniors thought it was illegal to begin a new political party. The Conler for civic education in los Angeles with help from the Bicentennial commission and the Federal government is developing a Pilot program o help new words for Webster s Bigfoot bag lad Page 14 the stars and stripes