To Be or Not to Be?
Recently of bunch of angry men and women made sure they were on every news and radio show blasting the ‘bonus’ money that was being paid out. Each Congressperson, Senator and news personality screamed mightily about the injustices the American people were being subjected to and on nightly basis. Why they (and we) were being taken advantage of and it had to stop. It was an angry mob and someone had to be hanged for the injustices done to the people. So all the angry men and women gathered up all their best righteous indignation faces and decided to tax those deceitful people at 90% just to get even. Every elected official and politician had an ‘over my dead body’ speech prepared for the nearest camera and microphone to record. The news media covered those folk in depth and riled up the populace. “We want blood” went the cry.
But wait? I thought we were a Republic which is a nation ruled by laws, not a democracy ruled by the majority… aka the ‘angry mob’. Our founding fathers could have set up any form of government they wanted. They looked back in history and decided in order to keep this country from falling into the pitfalls of Greece, Rome, (who disintegrated into a democracy) and all of those great societies that had preceded them, chose a ‘Republic.’ In Latin, Res means ‘thing’ and Publica means ‘law’. A true Republic means Government limited by law. Democracy came from the Greek Demos meaning ‘people’ and Katein meaning ‘to rule’… majority rules. The flaw in a Democracy is that Government is not restrained.
The word Democracy is not in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution or in any of the 50 states constitutions. In Essay #10 of the Federalist Papers, James Madison writes that democracies have been incompatible with personal security rights, property rights and are violent in their deaths. In our country when we elect a new president the transfer of power goes smoothly and without a riot, or a coup. Why is that? Because we are a Republic which is ruled by laws not by the majority. In a Majority, when they come to power, they tear up all the laws they don’t like and make their own to suit their ideas. People fear the new party because they don’t know if any of the laws and contacts will be valid. Let’s take the bonus money. It was agreed ahead of time, contracts were drawn up, notarized, and signed. That is the rule of law (a Republic). In comes the Obama administration, and boom! They decided the contracts were no longer valid, and to get even with those evil people (who agreed to work for no money-only expecting a bonus) by taxing every cent (a Democracy) so they wouldn’t keep a dime! Regardless if the administration knew it ahead of time that the bonuses where to be paid, they were willing to throw out the rule of law to get those people and to look good to the angry mob. Made for some good sound bites too!
Now the Obama administration wants to go after those that had the legal consent from the then attorney general and prosecute those people that were acting under the rule of law. Whether you agree that torture is good or bad, that’s not the point. The very fact that a new Administration can come in and tear up all the laws and then go after the previous party should be of grave concern to all of us. Does that mean that when the Republican party gets in some day they will do the same? Do the current occupants in the administration now look over their shoulders wondering if they can be prosecuted if the other party gets in office?
With the Government taking over banks, auto companies, insurance companies, do you really understand what is happening to our form of Government and to our Constitution? The essence of freedom is the proper limitation of Government. When Government grows, peoples freedoms recede. Are we watching the very thing that our founding Fathers gave their lives to avoid? Have we turned into a Democracy and will our own freedoms disappear?
In my own words, “not over my dead body.” I believe the Tea Parties are a sign to all of us to “wake up!” Least all our freedoms disappear overnight. I will fight the attempt to turn our Republic into a Democracy at every turn. I will speak out loudly in every avenue afforded to me. I need your support in taking back our freedoms. Will you join with me in helping me to get elected in the 5th Congressional District? Our freedom is at stake. Please ask me to come and speak to your group and let’s take back our Republic!
Sincerely,
Paul Smith. Www.PaulSmithforCongress.org
