The following is an excerpt from actress Janine Turner’s new book, A Little Bit Vulnerable: On Hollywood, God, Sobriety, & Politics. This excerpt is the preface of Chapter 2, “Constituting America—Interpreting The Federalist,” and Janine’s essay on Federalist 23, “Duty Would Bind to the Constitution.” Today is the 227th anniversary of the ratification of the Constitution, and no day is more fitting than today to remind ourselves and our representatives about the relevance our of founding document.
Poetry helped me survive my “struggling actress” years by giving me an artistic and cathartic channel to work through my turbulent twenties. At age twenty-seven, I began a new chapter of my life. I received my “big break,” winning and portraying the role of Maggie O’Connell in Northern Exposure. For five solid years I performed someone else’s words and emotions, both in Northern Exposure and Cliffhanger, and trust me, after working eighteen-hour days for five years, I was depleted.
When Northern Exposure was picked up by CBS for fifty episodes, which was unheard of at the time, I could finally breath a sigh of relief and reckon with my deeply rooted desire to return home to Texas. The first thing I did was purchase a palomino horse — my cherished Maggie — a pick-up truck, and a horse trailer. Next was my ranch, which I named Mockingbird Hill. I love mockingbirds because they remind me of actors. They mock other birds with melodious monologues in the way actors mock other people in the form of characters (not to mention, Thomas Jefferson had a pet mockingbird in the White House!). In 1995, after being gone for eighteen years, I blissfully moved home, exhausted, but ready for my next chapter.
This chapter would be my precious daughter, Juliette, who was born in 1997. Juliette, who is now sixteen years old, is my delight, my joy, my blessing. She is also my inspiration and creative partner. We have launched, side by side, many entrepreneurial projects. I continued writing in varying genres. I adapted the short story Trip in a Summer Dress into a screenplay and made my directorial debut, in which Juliette stole the show. I wrote and produced a Christian yoga workout video, Christoga, with yoga expert Mary Cunningham. I wrote a book, Holding Her Head High, (published by Thomas Nelson) which is about twelve exceptional “sheros” spanning seventeen centuries. Juliette and I ventured into singing/songwriting for our debut country album, Mockingbird Hill. I wrote it as an emotional release after my beloved horse Maggie died.
In 2010 I launched a foundation, Constituting America, with my soul sister and co-chair, Cathy Gillespie. Juliette was along for the ride, serving as the national youth director, which led to her hit published (Zondervan) book Our Constitution Rocks, and her sequel Our Presidents Rock. My fervent mission is to spread the message to adults, students, and the culture that the Constitution is not only nonpartisan but vital to barring tyranny and preserving our self-governing republic, which in turn preserves our inherent rights.
With Constituting America, I ventured full force into, as my friend Dr. David Bobb of Hillsdale College and the Bill of Rights Institute says, “a self-inspired, self-taught, Master’s degree in the Constitution and our founding era of enlightenment.”
This was aided by the 90 in 90 day studies we initiated at Constituting America. We had ninety interpretive essays written over the course of ninety days by brilliant, generous professors, garnered by the incomparable Horace Cooper. In minute detail these essays explain each opinion editorial in The Federalist, every clause of the Constitution, and the classic works by Aristotle, Cicero, and others that inspired the Constitution.
Enthused, my writings re-emerged with gusto in another genre: essays—from poetry to Publius. After reading the eighty-five opinion editorials in The Federalist, written by Publius, the pseudonym used by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, I wrote eighty-five corresponding essays to promote Constituting America. I was on fire to share the astounding relevance of their words and wisdom.
I was, and am, simply amazed by their genius.
Included in this chapter is a selection of my essays on The Federalist, bookended by a few of my opinion editorials on the subject of Constituting America. This has been the most remarkable journey and continues to be a labor of love.
Duty Would Bind to the Constitution: Federalist 23
“Duty would bind the representatives to the Constitution and public opinion.”
This singular line from Federalist 23 encapsulates wisdom and inspires reflection. The first reflection is upon the word “duty.” Duty seems to be a word that is lost in our American culture today. As the decades descend from World War II, the sense of duty to one’s country appears to be diminishing. I looked up the word “duty” and found the following definition: “a social force that binds you to a course of action demanded by that force.” The definition was followed by a quote by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., “every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity an obligation, every position, a duty.”
Today the focus of America’s representatives as well as many Americans and the American culture seems to be one of self-interest. Yet, within the blessing of the Providential rights that are secured for us in our Constitution lies a responsibility.
One of those responsibilities is to know, respect, and understand the United States Constitution, as well as to encourage others to do so. The same should apply to the American culture. How far we have drifted from the days when patriotism and love of country were, as President Ronald Reagan said, “in the air.” Is our country perfect?
No. But as the former Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, “show me a better one.”
We, as patriots who love our country and appreciate the founding principles upon which she was founded, need to rise to counter the palpable negativity that permeates our culture today. One has to question whether our Congressional representatives are bound to their duty to their country and their constituents, or to themselves.
Secondly, we should remember that duty is supposed to bind representatives to the Constitution. “Bind the representatives to the Constitution.” They, and we, have strayed from the Constitution in cultural thought, personal awareness, legislative acts, and Supreme Court rulings. This slow usurpation is due to a lack of knowledge and by a lack of pressure applied on our representatives to uphold the Constitution’s principles. As a republic we rule through our representatives, thus, our vote is our voice. The checks and balances of our government begin with us. Thus, I suppose, there is a responsibility that we, as patriots, must own — if our representatives have grown callous and irreverent regarding the Constitution, it is because we have allowed it by our lack of diligence in our duty to hold them accountable.
How well do they know the United States Constitution? How do they intend to abide by its stipulations? These should be the questions of paramount importance.
Thirdly, notice the two words “public opinion.” “Duty would bind the representatives to the Constitution and public opinion.” Public opinion seems to be virtually ignored by our representatives today. As mentioned in previous papers, Publius had a respect for the “genius of the people.” The American people have a genetic disposition and inherent ability to seek the truth and know the truth, and American patriots have risen to the challenge of duty. This has proven to be a tried-and-true trait of Americans.
All of the attempts by the current branches of government to reason around the Constitution and govern a republic without respecting the Constitution and the history of the American spirit will do so in vain. Duty to preserve our great country, founding principles, Bill of Rights, and free enterprise must be the Paul Revere-like call to action of our day.
To read the rest of Janine’s essays on the Federalist Papers, order the book today.