A few months ago, I started carrying around the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. I carry it to remind myself of the struggles, the bravery, and the sacrifices of our forefathers and foremothers, and the vision that the Framers conceived for what has become this resilient, extraordinary country.

In September 1620, the Pilgrims set sail on the Mayflower for what was an exceedingly unpleasant journey; they were searching for a new life without, inter alia, religious persecution. The U.S. Constitution was the framework for the Founders' vision and has become the supreme law of our nation. The Constitution embodies their dream of a land with national policy but without tyranny, branches of government with none being more powerful than the rest, and basic citizens rights to be respected and protected. It was that promise of liberty, justice, security, and tranquility that brought my maternal grandfather and his sister here when they escaped from Austria, where they had been faced with certain death at the hands of the Nazis during World War II. It is that promise that makes me proud to be a U.S. citizen and a public servant.

Creating fundamental principles for our land was a major undertaking and hard won. Even though the Pilgrims had fled British rule, the British were still able to control the American colonies. Some of the colonists were, shockingly, loyalists to England or neutral about Great Britain's dominance, but most were Patriots who opposed British governance.