A Republic, Madame, If You Can Keep It

The story goes that as Benjamin Franklin was leaving at the close of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, a woman walked up and asked the good doctor if we were to have a monarchy or a representative government. "A republic, madame, if you can keep it," was his response.

The wise doctor knew perhaps too well how easy it would be, could be, for any form of government to be manipulated.

By the end of the 19th century, with the Constitution being interpreted in ways that I'm sure our founding fathers had never intended, the path was being blazed to allow the rich and powerful to manipulate our government more to their likings. There have been many times when they have been pushed back, held in check by the law. Eventually, though, they found ways to have the very population whom they were seeking to control vote to allow the powerful to do just that.

We the people were, and are, ultimately voting against our best interests.

It saddens me to see the depths of the divisions within this country today. Regardless of the differences, be they skin color, religious, philosophical, political or economic, these divisions seem to be growing in magnitude and width.

This is exactly what the powerful want.

In so allowing this divisiveness to flourish, they can go about their business of actually holding the reins of real power, namely economic.

I'm not sure if we've passed a threshold of no return yet, but I worry that we are fast approaching it. Woe be unto us if that happens.

As long as we allow the forces of fear and irrational thought to rule the day, as long as we allow rumor over fact, speculation over what can be substantiated, govern our actions, the powerful, whose interests are certainly not our own (and indeed can be said to be light years from it), will continue to manipulate us.

It is time for the people to realize that it is indeed "we the people". Failure to do otherwise will take this once great land of ours down a path that many have tread before. Remember, it is not military or economic strength that truly defines a nation. It is in how that nation stands for its principles, and for its people.

Happy Independence Day.