What the Constitution Means to Me

Content Warning: This guide includes discussions about domestic violence, violence/rape against women, incestuous rape, child abuse, human trafficking, and abortion.

As is mentioned numerous times in the play, the founding fathers originally created the Constitution with no inclusion of women’s rights. It would be a long time before the discussion of women’s rights would reach the political sphere, and longer than that before things like domestic violence and abortion rights were a topic of possible relevance. Given this societal and political backdrop, the participation of women and girls on the debate stage is referenced as evidence of—or efforts toward—social progress. When Heidi talks about her competition, she cites her nemesis as another female debater, Becky Lee Dobbler. The play specifically emphasizes how Heidi, as a young woman, competed against other young women, providing the audience with a political discussion lead by and about female voices.

Although the American Legion competition itself isn’t limited by gender, nor are women given any special consideration or separate category, it is a male-dominated group, as evidenced in Heidi’s memory of the Legionnaires. Heidi’s female point of view is made even more revelatory when she also addresses that the American Legion oration contest, which makes up the bulk—if not all—of Heidi’s youthful debate experience, is steeped in patriarchal power systems.