Point of View: Our republic

By Floyd Seekins For the Homer News • July 15, 2020 5:30 am
Tags:
This undated file photo shows John Hancock’s signature on the Declaration of Independence, which was formally signed by 56 members of Congress beginning Aug. 2, 1776. (AP Photo, File) FILE - This undated file photo shows John Hancock’s signature on the Declaration of Independence, which was formally signed by 56 members of Congress beginning Aug. 2, 1776. National Public Radio marked Independence Day on July 4th, 2017, by tweeting the entire declaration, but it seems some Twitter users didn’t recognize what they were reading. Some of the founders’ criticisms of King George III were met with angry responses from supporters of President Donald Trump, who seemed to believe the tweets were a reference to the current president. Others were under the impression NPR was trying to provoke Trump with the tweets. (AP Photo, File)
This undated file photo shows John Hancock’s signature on the Declaration of Independence, which was formally signed by 56 members of Congress beginning Aug. 2, 1776. (AP Photo, File) FILE - This undated file photo shows John Hancock’s signature on the Declaration of Independence, which was formally signed by 56 members of Congress beginning Aug. 2, 1776. National Public Radio marked Independence Day on July 4th, 2017, by tweeting the entire declaration, but it seems some Twitter users didn’t recognize what they were reading. Some of the founders’ criticisms of King George III were met with angry responses from supporters of President Donald Trump, who seemed to believe the tweets were a reference to the current president. Others were under the impression NPR was trying to provoke Trump with the tweets. (AP Photo, File)

We recently celebrated the birthday of our nation, July 4, 1776, the signing of the Declaration of Independence. A few year later between 1787-1790 the 13 original states ratified our Constitution.

It is evident today that there is much misunderstanding as to what form of government was established . Our forefathers were very careful to set up a Republic and were equally adamant that this new nation not be a Democracy.

It is a sad (untruth) often spoken by readers and writers of the Homer News as well as by our government officials in referring to the U.S.A. as our democracy.

“Well, what is the difference?” Many will ask. Webster defines democracy as “Government of the people, especially rule of the majority.”

In our Republic we have rule by constitutional law and order. Our rights and power are not granted by a majority vote or rule, but we have our rights and liberty as they are stated in our constitution as certain unalienable rights that originate from (not the majority) but from nature’s God — the Creator.

I’m sure you all have heard and read such words as “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, among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” (Declaration of Independence, 1776). And governments are instituted among men to secure these rights.

This is the plan and desire of our founding fathers. They believed and knew that only a Republican form of government was capable of securing these rights. In a democracy those in the minority or the little guy have no way to secure their rights; they are at the mercy of the majority.

John Adams said, “Nothing in our constitution suggests that government is a grantor of rights. Instead, government is a protector of rights” and “…rights derived from the Great Legislator of the universe.” He also said, “Democracy never lasts long, it soon wastes, exhausts, and murders self. There was never a democracy that did not commit suicide.”

Chief Justice John Marshall observed, “Between a balanced republic and a democracy, the difference is that between order and chaos.”

Sort of like we experience today.

It seems very evident that today our young generation has not been presented with these truths, so neither have they learned them. The results are daily seen in our streets across our nation. One wonders what history is taught concerning our great Republic from pre-school through four years of college.

In conclusion, let’s ask ourselves what form of government did America have in its beginning , and where are we now? And, what do you desire America to become?

Floyd Seekins has lived in Homer since 1969. He has been a pastor of several churches in the area.

He has always been very interested, as well as thankful for our foundation fathers who did such a great job in establishing the great nation we have all enjoyed. He said, “I believe it is essential that we strive to keep our liberty.”

Tags: