STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
And we extend apologies to Thomas Jefferson, the 13 original colonies and the rest of the United States of America.
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
Because on July 4, MORNING EDITION delivered our annual presentation of the Declaration of Independence. It was read by visitors to Washington, D.C., and a phrase was wrong. Just listen to this passage.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: And that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, construct alliance...
MONTAGNE: That's all correct, but we left off two words.
INSKEEP: The free and independent states also claim the power to establish commerce. We now correct the record.
MONTAGNE: The most impressive part of the episode is that sharp-eared listeners caught this omission fairly deep in our founding document. If we'd said, when in the course of events, many people would've caught it.
INSKEEP: We've been thinking of other famous documents that would of been different if you had lost a word. We the people in order to form a union.
MONTAGNE: Roughly fourscore years ago.
INSKEEP: And let's not even get started with modern speeches, such as, ask not what your country can do, or Mr. Gorbachev tear this wall.
MONTAGNE: That, many people would catch, but catching the missing commerce clause of the Declaration, that's true patriotism.
INSKEEP: It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Salute. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
