For a recent cross-country trip in which he examined the Constitution on the 225th anniversary of its signing, Peter Sagal knew he wanted to ride in style.
So Sagal, the host of NPR's "Wait, Wait ... Don’t Tell Me!," purchased a red, white and blue Harley-Davidson at a showroom in the suburbs of Chicago. In his new documentary series, "Constitution USA" on PBS, Sagal rides the bike across the country as he explores the contemporary meaning of the country's founding document.
A self-described "biker reborn," Sagal renewed his motorcycle license for the series.
"There isn't a lot that can make you unhappy," he told the Philadelphia Inquirer, "if you have a new Harley on a two-lane highway in Montana."
Sagal traversed the country, discussing with Americans liberties that span from affirmative action to same-sex marriage. The show strays from a certain ideology, instead discussing how the Constitution deals with some of today's most pressing issues.
In the series, which will be shown on PBS during the month of May, Sagal finds that while people may not know the exact wording of the Constitution, many have a strong grip on the basics.
"They may not know that the word ‘freedom’ does not appear in the body of the Constitution, it only appears in the First Amendment,” Sagal told the Associated Press. "But they do know that in this country we have a rule of law and nobody is above the rule of law, and they do know there are limits on what the government can do.”
