In the beginning was the Word . . . in the beginning was the Word of the Declaration of Independence; in the beginning was the Word of the Constitution of these United States, a culmination of all the Words which went before – the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Arbroath, the Mayflower Compact, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, and many more. In the end, will there be the Word of Liberty or will there be the nothingness of chaos and anarchy, every man for himself, the survival of the fittest, tyranny? Civilizations without a common Word to unite them fall. Civilizations which ignore their common Word fall. 2020 may very well be the tipping point for America.
The Word of the Declaration of Independence Defines the Spirit of America
Thomas Jefferson, as the author of the Declaration of Independence said it best, ” When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
The Founding Fathers, in terms of education, having great minds and souls, have never had their equal gathered together and committed to creating a nation of Liberty in the history of the world. There is certainly not their equal in our day. There are a few Statesmen scattered here or there across the globe, but none their equal. To be sure they were not perfect, none of us humans are, nor have we ever been, nor will we ever be on this mortal plane of existence. But the ideal they gave us does not have its equal either, though many movements have tried. Most countries have a constitution now, modelled on the American constitution, but none are its equal in spirit or potential for liberating the struggling masses of people in our world.
The Constitution and the Republic which it Defines is the Word for America
When the Constitution was finally crafted and Benjamin Franklin left Independence Hall in Philadelphia, he was asked by a woman what form of government had the delegates giving the new country. He answered “A Republic, if you can keep it”.
A Republic, in which the interests of the people and the interests of the State are balanced, is a difficult form of government to keep. Just ask the ancient Romans. Corruption, greed, and other human failings can destroy it, if great care and diligence are not taken to keep the Rule of Law, as outlined by a constitution. The Constitution of these United States is very particular about balancing the interests of the people, the interests of the State, and the interests of the Federal government so that no one aspect could gain power over the other and lead the nation into a tyranny – a tyranny of the people, or a tyranny of government.
America today has lost its constitutional moorings and has drifted into a strange creature best defined as a democratic oligarchy, meaning that a small group of people with the idea of controlling every aspect of the average citizen’s life, while ignoring the rules they make for others, has been put in control by manipulating the demos, or the people, into believing they have a real choice, when in fact, the people in charge are really two sides of the same coin. Both are determined to gain and keep power by manipulating the demos into re-electing them year after year after year, with no fundamental reversal of the destruction of the Constitutional Republic. Both use the Constitution as their justification while ignoring it when it suits their agenda.
None of the current presidential candidates, nor the sitting president have any clue or mind as to the need to restore the Republic, or the understanding of how to do so. It is a lot of hard work and will take a lot of sacrifice just to start the process, let alone see it through to the end. It cannot be done over night, nor with the flick of a pen. It will take several presidents and several congresses before it can be achieved. It will take state legislatures and most importantly, it will take the will of the people. The will of the people is essential. On the other side of the struggle will be Liberty, the liberty of a limited government and low taxes, the liberty of being out of debt – both personally and nationally, the liberty of a free enterprise economy, and the liberty of being a free nation with the means to influence the world to move towards Liberty, instead of becoming an increasingly imperialistic power.
I’ll be addressing many issues this year, and although a constitutional Republic seems complicated, it is really quite simple. I’ll also be looking at all the presidential candidates, including third parties, seeking for the one with the best understanding of the role of a constitutional presidency, and one which is committed to that end. I recommend three things:
- Read the Declaration of Independence and contemplate its words.
- Read the Constitution of these United States.
- Read “A Constitutional Presidency” by Kerry L. Morgan. It is downloadable for free if you want a copy.
PS: If you like what you read in “A Constitutional Presidency”, send a copy to your favorite candidate and challenge them to be that President.
Liberty Principia 