 Hi, I'm Vermont Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman and I'm excited to talk to you today about the United States Constitution and your rights and freedoms as citizens. The U.S. Constitution provides a blueprint for the foundation of our government. The Framers wanted to protect the people from tyranny and to prevent too much power from being held by one person or group. To do this, they divided the government into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches which provides a balance of power. They also made sure to secure the rights of the states and individuals. The U.S. Constitution gives the government certain powers, like the power to pass and enforce laws or to collect taxes, but it also protects your power as a citizen and gives you certain rights. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights and they ensure the basic liberties of all United States citizens and put restrictions on what the government can control. Further amendments were added later and many of them provide additional rights or bring existing rights to an expanded number of people. For instance, the 15th and 19th amendments guaranteed the right to vote to all citizens regardless of race or gender. The 26th amendment established a voting age of 18. This means that you can participate in elections when you turn 18 or even earlier in a primary if you will turn 18 in time for the general election. But even if you're not 18 yet, you can still be involved in politics and engage in issues that matter to you and you have the rights that are protected under the Constitution. The first amendment gives important rights to all people. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. This gives you the right to voice your opinions, gather or associate with like-minded people and ask your government to do better. It allows the media to report on information about the government, our leaders and issues facing our society. We are incredibly lucky to live in a country that guarantees these rights to our people and I believe that we have a responsibility to take advantage of these liberties by being active, informed and engaged citizens. You can become more knowledgeable about issues you care about by researching them and talking with your family, teachers, friends and others who may have special knowledge of a topic. You have the power to contact your representatives, join or form a club or organization and write to newspapers and other publications to express your views. Once you're an adult, you can play a role in electing your representatives by voting or even run for public office yourself. My Youth Initiative aims to help you have your voice heard. I have always valued the views and perspectives of young people and I believe that our leaders can benefit from hearing your ideas and concerns. You can go to my website, ltegov.vermont.gov to find more information on my youth initiative or message me with your thoughts or questions about the Constitution or learn about how to contact your representatives and you can also download my Citizen's Guide to Political Activism. I hope you will engage and stay engaged for the rest of your lives. Thank you.