by John Greef, Hamilton
According to the records in the National Archives, many of our Founding Fathers (John Adams, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and others) were opposed to democracy. Those founding fathers did not trust the “masses” to make the decisions. They feared that the masses would be uninformed or underinformed. A representative democracy emerged and as James Madison wrote in Federalist No. 39, “a republic is a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of people.” We the People.
Despite the fears of some of the founding fathers, democracy has worked for over 240 years with peaceful and respectful transitions of Presidential power 46 out of 47 times. We now see a high level of animosity, divisiveness, and inability to respectfully and effectively communicate between citizens in general, between representatives at all levels of government, and in the administration. I fear that this is what many of our Founding Fathers anticipated years ago. I fear that it places democracy at risk.
We the People is all citizens regardless of race, religion, sex or country of origin. We the People, our representatives, administration, and members of all political parties need to pledge to be respectful, civil, and cordial in all discussions and in all arenas. We the People need to be objectively informed. We the People need to understand the importance to preserving democracy of the separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches and the need for all branches to be independent. We the People need to resist dictatorship and resist rule by oligarchy.
We the People. It is time to buck it up and step it up!!
Alan says
When the politicians talk about democracy from Washington DC, they are not referring to the democracy most often incorrectly associated with our political system. The democracy they talk about is the beltway democracy, their way of doing business. The kickbacks, quid pro quo, personal insider trading, enrichment for family and friends, wasting tax payer dollars etc. This is democracy to these people, then the useful idiots grab ahold of it and regurgitate it out on social media platforms to create some sort of impending doom feeling about our government political system. The entire threat to democracy mantra is one big steaming pile.
Bill Cavanaugh says
You might want to educate yourself before bloviating. We are a Constitutional Republic, Not a Democracy. You probably heard otherwise, from some of your moronic Democrats like AOC or jasmine Crockett.
Howard S. says
Democracy come in many forms, one of which is a constitutional republic.
Bill Cavanaugh says
Not even Remotely Close. In a Democracy everyone has a voice. Jefferson Famously said he was afraid of a pure Democracy because it would lead to Anarchy. And hear we are. Every dimwit has a voice on the left and it lead to exactly what Jefferson Loathed.