[Jeff Head]

I actually read a reader editorial in a paper recently from a guy who used Franklin's great quote when asked during the constitutional convention "Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?", to which Franklin replied..."A republic if you can keep it".

The guy actually replaced republic with democracy in both instances. I was so unbelievably incensed, but my reply was never printed.

We have lots of educating to do. I have tried to do so with my book series and most of the activities I have been involved in...but we have to keep pluggin.

BTW, very good to hear from you my friend, hope all is well with you and yours.

[nicollo]

The year 1912 is seen by historians as a great moment in the creation of modern America. It was, they say, when popular government became truly popular with the birth of the direct primary and the advancement of the various forms of democracy of the direct election of Senators, the initiative, the referendum, and the recall, and so on.

I have, rather, seen that year as a moment when America might have gone astray of its Founding, abandoning it for a pure and dangerous democracy, and lost itself entirely in it. While adopting some of the extremes of majority rule, more importantly, America rejected its worst extremes. For my take on it, see this .pdf file (warning: 300kb, 60 pages):

Constitution's Bodyguard

Truly, things might have been far worse than they are today.