Contributed by J Cameron Potts
A nation's citizens need to understand their rights under the law. When they don't, it leads to confusion, frustration and even violent action. The usual culprit? Corrupt activities designed to undermine those rights in the pursuit of money and power. These activities are insidious. They attack our institutions of learning, religion, health and defense. They utilize unfocused carping about how bad things are. About how incompetent leadership is. About how the only solution is wholesale destruction of the “old way”. And replacement with “a compassionate and enlightened” new way.
With “The People” in charge. They cause division along religious, ethnic and racial grounds. They sow mistrust and hatred within “The People”. And blame it on the hardworking and successful, who have little time for defense. With these seeds sown, corrupt people move into the political arena. They pose as an angry, righteous force for change; for revolution. History is full of these events. Each generation is most aware of itself and sees its problems as unique and unbearably burdensome. To these, the siren song of revolution is too clear and enticing. While history never truly repeats, it often rhymes in harmony with that siren song. And so, it has gone for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years.
Only one group of revolutionaries has ever studied the errors and lessons of past civilizations. Their goal was to avoid the errors and learn the lessons. Our Founders were that group and did a marvelous job. Their efforts resulted in the unique and ever relevant Constitution of the United States. Yet, their study of history disquieted them. They saw the only hope of maintaining a government of “We, the People” rested in the hands of the citizens. Each generation would have to understand the lessons of history and pass them on. Without that, history would continue to rhyme instead of writing a new and wonderful story of liberty and progress.
To this end, Thomas Jefferson opined, “I know of no safe depositor of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.”
Today, that unique and ever relevant document is under attack. Labeled as outdated and in need of interpretation. The Founders even foresaw this. They provided for amendment through a disciplined and searching process. To be sure, the process is burdensome. It requires strong agreement of those involved. Frustrating to some, this feature is crucial for the survival of government by “We, the People”. Hasty adoption of ill-conceived or trendy amendments can result in the loss of liberty. An example is the adoption of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919. What followed was the massive unrest that became known as Prohibition. Fortunately, repeal occurred in 1933 by the 21st Amendment. Prohibition ended. Liberty expanded. The unique and ever relevant constitution worked. Why? Because “We, the People” understood its relevance and usefulness. Education informed their discretion.
Today, our education about and grasp of the constitution is waning. Why this is so is the subject of many opinions and theories. Each is guaranteed to rouse some strong emotional response. This may have its place, but it does nothing to remedy the situation. What can help is a simple decision by anyone who can read. Do your own research. Copies of the document are readily available. The original is on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC. It resides alongside the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.
Every American has the obligation to read and understand these documents. They are the foundations of our nation, our way of life and our potential prosperity. Without them, we are adrift in a political ship without sails, oars, engine or rudder. We are at the mercy of the winds of corruption and propaganda. “We, the People” are missing an important part of our survival education. Every society that has ever done that has perished.
The Constitutional Convention concluded in 1787. At the time, a woman queried Benjamin Franklin. “Well Doctor, what have we got - a Republic or a Monarchy?” His reply? “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
The question now is, “Can we?”