About five Lions in all came to Sarah Wellington's classroom just before 12:30 p.m. After introductions, in which Smithpeters spoke about the Lions Club and the purpose of Liberty Day, to introduce area fifth graders to study of the U.S.' founding documents, Smithpeters launched into a slide slow of paintings of scenes from the founders' era, starting with one by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris of Thomas Jefferson composing the Declaration of Independence.
After discussing the images, Smithpeters, a former professor of Writing and American Literature, provided a user's guide to the U.S. Constitution, which he then had the students try out by looking for where answers to certain questions about the federal government could be found, like "How old must a person be to be a U.S. Senator?" or "If I commit a crime in one state and am arrested in another, can the state in which I commited my crime demand that the state I fled arrest me and bring me back?" (Age 30 and Yes.)
Then Kimmel, who is an attorney for Arkansas Child Support Enforcement, introduced the students to the rights they enjoy under the Bill of Rights, ten amendments passed shortly after the Constitution was ratified. He had a slide show, too, and regaled the students with many scenarios in which these rights could be invoked and those when limits to these rights exist. Under the right to privacy, can police search your car? Yes, but only if they see evidence a crime may have been committed.
The program lasted about an hour and forty-five minutes and involved lively interactions as students took part in activities and tried to predict whether government could or could not take certain actions in response to Kimmel's scenarios.
The Lions will be bringing Liberty Day to Hope's Beryl Henry Elementary and to Blevins Elementary School early next month.
Above photo: Matthew Wade Kimmel presents to Garrett Memorial Christian Church fifth graders a program on the Bill of Rights Tuesday. All photos courtesy of Ed Flagg.
Below photos: Jeff Smithpeters, who is also a reporter for SWARK.Today, presents his U.S. Constitution User's Guide and Kimmel speaks about the Bill of Rights.
