Pocket-sized United States Constitutions. (Katecey Harrell/ Tyler Morning Telegraph)

The Constitution outlines individual rights and freedoms. Understanding it helps people stand up for themselves and ensures their rights are not taken away or misused by others. Reminding the community of that was the goal of a Tyler event held on Constitution Day.

“Smith County Bar Foundation’s mission is to provide resources and education to the public and the community, and there’s no better way to do that than through Constitution Day,” Mandy Nelson, attorney and a Smith County Bar Foundation president.

David Gonzales, a criminal lawyer in Austin and adjunct professor at the University of Texas, spoke at Tyler Junior College on Constitution Day, Sept. 17, to students, lawyers, and educators.

Gonzales shared a story from high school when he tried to avoid a parking lot fee by photocopying parking passes. His backpack was searched, and a Swiss Army knife was found, leading to disciplinary hearings and eventually his expulsion.

He views this experience as the moment that sparked his interest in constitutional law, though at the time he had no plans of becoming a lawyer.

Gonzales discussed the complexities of the Constitution and how it connects with people in different roles, like lawyers, parents and teachers. He provided practical tools for understanding the law, aiming to make legal concepts accessible to everyone, not just lawyers.

He covered topics like the Code Construction Act and interpreting laws, ending with a focus on the amendments he works with most: the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth. He emphasized his goal wasn’t for people to memorize laws but to understand how they work in real life.

Constitutional rights are personal and only individuals can use them, Nelson said. If people are unaware of these rights or how to use them, they can’t depend on others to do it for them.

“You have to know how to do it,” Gonzales said. “That’s part of what we’re talking about this morning, is so that you are capable of knowing how these rights work, because no one else gets to exercise them, for you, but you.”