Wednesday, October 14, 2009

“A Republic - If You Can Keep It”


Those were the words of Benjamin Franklin upon being asked what kind of government the new nation had after the vote was taken to approve the Constitution. Yet, there is very little mention in the mainstream media these days about our republic. Schools for decades have taught that the USA is a democracy so maybe the media and so many of the adults who believe the same thing can be forgiven. However, it is imperative that Americans, as a nation know the difference between a democracy and a republic if we wish to keep our republic.
In a democracy, the majority rules. The majority can vote each other out of house, home and freedom. The majority can vote in sharia law if they want. In a democracy, individuals have very little recourse if they want to go against the will of the majority. That’s one of the reasons our founding fathers declined to make this nation into a democracy. In the words of James Madison, “Democracies have been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and in general have been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their death.”
How many times have Americans been bombarded by the notion of spreading freedom and democracy to other nations? In reality, we can only spread one, because freedom is incompatible with democracy. You can have one or the other, but not both. If we could spread the American form of government abroad, that would be spreading freedom, but democracy?, no.
So what is a republic? If democracy is so unstable and violent, what is a republic and why is it more desirable than a democracy? The Oxford American dictionary defines a republic as ” A country in which the supreme power is held by the people or their elected representatives or by an elected or nominated president.” That may sound the same as a democracy, but it is not.
In the case of America, it means that the people have approved a Constitution to define the powers of the government. This is one of the reasons why many Americans are upset about the president’s speech to our children. The president is elected to serve America, not to turn our youngest Americans into government servants. In the debate to approve the Constitution in Pennsylvania, one of the delegates, Mr. Wilson stated that the supreme power of the uniquely American form of government resides in the people.
“The truth is, that, in our governments, the supreme, absolute, and uncontrollable power remains in the people. As our constitutions are superior to our legislatures, so the people are superior to our constitutions. Indeed, the superiority, in this last instance, is much greater; for the people possess over our constitutions control in act, as well as right.
The consequence is, that the people may change the constitutions whenever and however they please. This is a right of which no positive institution can ever deprive them.”
In a republic, we each have a personal responsibility to oversee and correct the government when it infringes on individual rights. In America, we are to do that by electing people of good character to office - regardless of their party affiliation. And “We the People” retain the right to change those legislators and even the Constitution itself. The supreme power of our government resides with the people, but not in such a way that the majority can run roughshod over the rights of the individual. That is the essential difference between a democracy and a republic. The question before Americans now is still “Can we keep it?”
Belanne Pibal is a Liberty Features Syndicated Writer.

18 comments:

Hangmann747 said...

Hello all,

There is a video that also explains this vary well, it is on the front page of my blog.

www.federalistfred.blogspot.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DioQooFIcgE&feature=player_embedded

I also have a post that covers how the Government uses our very Constitution to stray from it self.

“Big Government” & The Original Intent of The Delineated Powers

http://federalistfred.blogspot.com/2009/09/big-government-original-intent-of.html

Please feel free to read and comment.

As Always Thanks for being involved, Many Blessings, Shane

"Standing Strong" & "Closing Ranks"
and still in the "Hunt For Red November"

Call Me Mom said...

Thanks for stopping by Hangman747. I looked at your page. I have both seen and posted links to the "American Form of Government" video myself. You may want to check out some of David Barton's book, "Original Intent" if you are not already familiar with it.

I can't say I'm enamoured of the popup "Hi!" thing as your page loads. That sort of thing always strikes me as a virus waiting to happen.

Hangmann747 said...

Hello, CM Mom,

Thanks for stopping by. I choose the name of my site after listening to a Jannet Parshal Radio Show with Dr. Barton talking about "Original Intent". I have since seen him many times on "The Believers Voice of Victory".

As far as the "HI". That started about a year ago, I don't know why and I don't know how to get rid of it. Can you or anyone HELP?

Thanks and many Blessings, Shane

Call Me Mom said...

My guess, if it's not something you put on there deliberately, is that either you did so inadvertently with a blog ap or, that you have a virus or malware on your computer.

Check with the blogger folks first. If they have no idea, then run your virus scanning software. If that finds nothing(and is a reasonably good virus scanner) I would try malware bytes. You can download(upload?) their software for free and it will scan your computer to help you get rid of stuff like that.
Good luck. :)

Anonymous said...

It angers me so much every time someone calls us a democracy! WE ARE NOT! WE ARE A REPUBLIC*! WE ARE THE OLDEST REPUBLIC IN THIS HEMISPHERE!


* We were till Jan. 21st, 2009. After that date, since a person who has never proven his credentials as a US citizen is currently occupying the office of POTUS.

Call Me Mom said...

Matt,
thanks for stopping by. Go easy on the capital letters, there's no need to yell in a reasonable discussion. I share your frustration in that regard.

Hangmann747 said...

Hello Matt,

Ever wish you could "Stick It" to a liberal MSM reporter who says we are a "Democracy", this guy got to. YEA!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAyP6GAXylE&feature=player_embedded

Thanks for Being Involved, Shane

Call Me Mom said...

Thanks for the link Hangman747. How's the popup situation going?

Anonymous said...

Call Me Mom,
Sorry about that! It is just one of the many aspects of daily life that upsets me. I'm trying to think of who it was who said that republics require an engaged citizenry. We, sadly, are lacking that today...except for the health care take over. We get calls on that on a daily basis ;-)

Call Me Mom said...

I think the folks in DC should be hearing about more than healthcare, Matt. But if that's what gets the citizenry riled up, then good.

Someone will have to pay the bill for all the spending to which this country has been committed...perhaps I should be saying for which this country should be committed. Trillions of dollars-what are they thinking!?

Hangmann747 said...

Call Me Mom,

Turns out the most likly cause of the "HI" pop up is one of my own side bar widgets. It's just going to take some time finding which one, and my PC is not the fastest.

Thanks Shane

Gabriele said...

I think the difference between Republic and Democracy is the following: in the Democracy the will of the rulers exercizes the supreme power with no limits. The citizens have no individual rights. Their rights depend on the will of the Community. Who is the ruler in a Democracy? A government headed by a Prasident or an Assembly dominated by the majority of 51%.

I think in a federal Republic the State should be based on a Constitution which contains Individual Rights (including the right of resistance to a tyrannical government) and State members' Rights (including the Right of Secession of a State from the Federation). A modern Republic should have two features: a strong Federalism and the division of the executive power from the legislative and judicial power.

I think the Peopole has a false sovereignity in the Democracy and a real sovereignity in the modern Republic. I think the difference is that in the first one there is only one class of rulers that are the masters of the Community and decide on behalf of the People (including the change of the Constitution). In the modern Republic, the People exercizes the constituent power through the election of a Convention and the final plebiscite for the approval of the new Constitution.

Call Me Mom said...

Gabriele,
Thank you for stopping by and my compliments on your use of the English language, which I am assuming from your linked page, is not your native tongue.

If you are able to access the link to the video "The American Form of Government", mentioned by Hangman747, you will see that a democracy is a temporary and unstable form of government.

If you cannot, the video presents the idea that the range of governmental forms is not best expressed in a scale from facist to socialist, with democracy somewhere in the middle, but rather in a scale of government control exercised by different forms of government from total (or totalitarian) control to anarchy(no control). The video contends that a republic provides the optimum level of government control balanced with an optimum amount of individual freedom.
I tend to agree.

Gabriele said...

Dear Call me Mom,

unfortunately, I haven't been able to see the video metioned by Hangmann747. Has You Tube deleted it? Big question!

Anyway, it isn't a problem. I trust your explanation! I agree to achieve a balance between Freedom and Political power (the Government).

I think the best solution is a Federal Constitution based not only on the individual Freedom, but even on the Freedom of the States that are united in the Federation. Without strong Communities that can resist to a tyrannical central power (you know it could happen), without strong individual Rights that can eventually resist to a local political power exercized in a tyrannical way, there cannot be any equilibrium between Freedom and Politics.

Thank you very much Call Me Mom for your answer and sorry for my English. I'm trying to improve it.
;)

Hangmann747 said...

Hello Gabriele,

If you are still unable to get the Video on you tube for some reason, I have it embeded on the upper front page of my Blog site.

"The Doctrine of Original Intent"

Thanks for being Involved, Many Blessings, Shane

P.S. CallMeMom I'm still searching for the "HI", haven't found it yet, I'll keep looking, Thanks for all!

Call Me Mom said...

Best of luck with finding that Hangman747.

Gabriele,
Your English is not bad-no apologies necessary.

I think one of the problems we currently face as a nation, is that we have retained the appearance of Godliness(individual rights and freedoms that do not come from the state) while denying the substance.

Religion of all sorts, but especially Christianity have been so degraded, that we have forgotten the basis for the individual rights we claim. That basis is that they are gifts from our creator and not from the state. If our creator(God) has given us these gifts, then not only does the state lack the authority to take them from us, but we, as a people, then have a duty to defend them from usurpation by the state.
If one lacks a basic knowledge of and faith in God, how can one possibly claim Him as the author of our rights as individuals?

And if we cannot claim God as the author of our rights, then from whence do we derive the authority to declare that we have them?
This is the true underlying battle for America at this point.

If we acknowledge God, then we must acknowledge His will in our form of government. If we do not, then our republic has no firm base upon which to stand to defend those freedoms which we have, from the outset of this nation, claimed as the gifts of an all powerful creator who has the authority to grant them.

One might say that Mr. Obama, in declaring that America is no longer a Christian nation, has, in effect, declared that individual citizens have no God given rights. His actions and appointments serve as confirmation that such is the case.

Thank you for the opportunity to examine this issue in this context, Gabriele. Now I have some thinking to do. :)

Hangmann747 said...

Hello Guys,

I was just telling my wife (Infidel Granny) the other day that the left is taking a big risk in trying so hard to remove God from everything. If you remove God, then by what you said above, there would be nothing to stop the Government fom killing anyone at any time for any reason.

The right to life is "ONLY" found in the Bible, and is only given by "GOD". Remove Him and you and I are just an aniamal, no different then a mouse!

Shane (Hangmann747)

Call Me Mom said...

Look at the history of church persecution under totalitarian forms of government. Particularly those governments under which millions of people were killed. If there are churches, they must have been "approved" by the state. What better practical illustration that the state has attempted to take God's authority for it's own?