A Visit from the Founders

Defunct e-mail listserve | July 3, 1999 | Taz

[EveningStar]

It was one of those nights; hot, muggy, the kind that finds you trapped between sleep and reality. I lay there, on the brink of anger, knowing that tomorrow was going to be a very long day. The parade started at 11:00; the Arts and Craft show at 1:00 PM; and I had to work in the 4th of July Committee's food booth from 3:30 to 5:30. I snuck a peek at the clock and decided to just lay there and hope for the inevitable.

Just as I felt myself sinking into blessed relief, I thought I heard voices. I looked up, and in the corner, at the computer sat two men. Part of me wanted to go on full alert; the other half was intrigued by the whisper of familiar phrases.

One was exalting the advancement in technology, flabbergasted with the speed and enormity of information available to the common man. "Why, in my time, it took a full day to set the press. And delivery took as long as the mules did to walk. This is astounding. Instant communication, not only from city to city, but around the world."

The other seemed skeptical. "Ah, yes, but how is this information being used? For the good or mankind? Or to advance the tentacles of government? Does the government control this new medium or is it available to everyone."

My curiosity piqued, I became drawn to the conversation, like a moth to candlelight. The voices were alien, but the characters seemed so familiar. They certainly had a thorough knowledge of history and their concern with present day circumstances was genuine.

Who are you? How did you get in here?

"I am Benjamin, my friend here is Thomas", replied the pudgy one with glasses. "We are here to analyze the results of our experiment and determine whether we should have been so generous in our assessment of the public. Whether they truly understand and appreciate all that we went through to establish a government "Of the People, By the People and For the People.

From what we have observed, there is a marked decline in liberty and we want to know who is at fault. Whether we should have been more explicit in writing our documents, or if the People simply lack the common sense to heed our warnings in regard to the insidious nature of government."

Well, people change. Circumstances change. I have read most of your documents, and even I do not fully understand them.

"Well that's what we are here for. We want to answer some of your questions" Ben said. "Ask away. It is critical that we dispel the doubt and uncertainty surrounding our writings. How can we help?"

What about the 2nd Amendment?

"What about it?" asked Thomas.

Did you really intend for every man to possess a firearm? Didn't you realize how deadly weapons would become with the advancement of technology? are you aware of the terrible toll these weapons have taken on society? People are killing each other over nothing.

"Of course we are aware of the new forms of weaponry "Thomas responded, "But you miss the point of the 2nd Amendment. It is not about weaponry. It is about Freedom. Why have the people relinquished so much freedom? Do they really expect government to keep them safe?"

"The only safety government can provide is confinement," added Ben. "Government cannot protect you. We assumed weapons would become more deadly. But we also knew from experience, that given the chance, government would become so intrusive and so oppressive that the obligation of safeguarding Freedom would ultimately rest upon the shoulders of the citizenry.

How can you expect government to monitor itself? Government has an insatiable appetite for power. It is the nature of the beast. And, unfortunately, power corrupts. That is one thing we were never able to eliminate, although we were specific in delegating power, we knew sooner or later someone would open the floodgates and abuse would rush to fill the vacuum caused by the failure to heed our warnings ."

Then you are not regretful for bestowing such an awesome responsibility on common folk?

"Absolutely not," Ben added. "I just wish we would have had more time to be more precise. Then the pundits and media could not misconstrue our intent.

And speaking of the media, I wish we would have been a little less charitable when it came to protecting the Freedom of the Press."

You can't be serious! Are you saying that in retrospect you would not allow the press so much freedom?

"No, I mean we would have inserted a note of caution. The media has always had a proclivity for twisting the facts. They have far too much influence over the populous, but it is a necessary evil. To curtail the press, would be a form of censorship that has no place in a nation based on Freedom.

If the people did their homework, the press would have to report the truth. As it is, people rely on second hand knowledge and biased reporting. This is extremely worrisome. The press can influence public opinion and change the direction of government. Why do people allow the fate of their nation to rest in the hands of liberal loving reporters?"

"Oh dear, Benjamin, look at the time" Thomas said. "We have another meeting in ten minutes."

But wait!! There is one more question I have; well actually I have many, but the most important has to do with the separation of church and state.

"What separation?" asked Thomas. "We never separated church and state. We took measures to ensure that all people could practice their religion unimpeded by government. Religious Freedom is tantamount to Social Freedom. When people are good, they have little need for government restraint.

I am full aware of the battle over prayer in school and the posting of the Ten Commandments. This is drivel. No one can stop a person from praying. No one can stop people from adhering to the Ten Commandments. I fear the underlying problem here lies within the hearts of the people, not the interpretation of our writing.

Religion played a vital role in all our deliberations. We accepted the presence of evil and provided the safety of the 1st Amendment as a means by which the moral fabric of society could be maintained and sustained. This notion of separating church and state is flawed. We did not separate them, we defined them. Each has its place."

"Thomas, we must go"

"Yes, we must, but before we leave, we want to ensure you that there is no problem that faces mankind, that mankind cannot find a solution for. This modern day world dwells too much on the negative and not enough on the positive. There have been wondrous advancements in medicine, science, technology and communication. Use them wisely. This new phenomenon, the Internet, will prove to be the most powerful weapon against tyranny man has ever known. Indeed, if we had had such technology, the ratification process would have been so much easier, and faster.

Guard your Freedom. Freedom is like a diamond sparkling in the sunlight. Everyone wants if for themselves, but few understand that the diamond must be washed in light in order for the brilliance to shine upon us all.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July, and take a moment to savour the sweet smell of Freedom. It is our gift to you; guard it jealously and let no man diminish its glow."

[E Rocc]

It was one of our local theocrats, a social conservative.

Bet he simply hated Paine's The Age of Reason....LOL.

The original article was excellent, but wrong about Jefferson vis a vis Separation. Jefferson considered religion a private matter and emphatically believed it had no place in government or law.

-Eric

[EveningStar]

I have not been in contact with the author for years. She seems to have dropped off the face of the earth.

[spinestein]

[...let us protect ourselves. let us have our guns... and get the governmental hell out of our lives and out of our way... along with all the sychophant nanny state worshippers who want government to enforce or regulate EVERY thing that exists, in one way or another.]

[Don't you just wish they'd all move to Europe sometimes?]



The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights have been copied and "improved" by every other country who has since achieved democracy.

Almost without exception, they extend the "rights" of the citizens by expanding the power of the government to give people things they should be providing for themselves. This fundamental lack of understanding of what defines a "right" ultimately reduces their freedoms (and ours, as we in the U.S. give in to the same foolish temptations) as the government takes from citizen A in order to give to citizen B (and keeps a portion for itself).

A friend of mine returned from a trip to the Netherlands and was praising the country for how many more "rights" their citizens had compared to ours, guaranteed in their constitution; rights to free health care and medicine, a nice house to live in, a clean environment, a good job with benefits and lots of time off, a paid retirement, and many other things, all provided by a benevolent government.

Benjamin and Thomas are rolling over in their graves.

[Ciexyz]

well said.

[knarf]

"I'd bet that what would disturb them most is our continued inability to think for ourselves."

I dissagree ... I think what would be most appalling to the founding fathers is the lack of a will to take action against a government which, under the guise of 'protecting us', literally strips away, not so much our rights, but the desire to do anything about those that are eventually stripped away.

I think a lot of people do think for themselves ... unfortunately, we've forgotten the first class in computing 101 ...

Garbage in, Garbage out.

[John Filson]

I do mean real, quality information-based thinking. I mean thinking like that done by early American men who had read the Bible, the classics, and the great thoughts of Milton and Locke. Much of what the founding fathers wrote was exceptional and timeless. With the challenges we face today, shouldn't we be expected to study and ponder and discuss the issues with the same deliberation, rigor, and fortitude?

Their problems might have been more fundamental: building a better government than men had ever seen before. But our problems are no less serious. We have to be stewards to the history of our nation while conserving and building its global power as well. We have to ensure that our own people are each treated as sacred human beings with truly unique gifts from God. What often passes for deep public thought today is no better than MTV non-music programming.

We're sitting on priceless political and intellectual gems. But our founding fathers would have told us: we were just the beginning. You have to outdo us in every generation. There can be no "greatest generation" of Americans. America will begin to decline the minute there is.

[hedgetrimmer]

There can be no "greatest generation" of Americans. America will begin to decline the minute there is.

Bravo.

[FReethesheeples]

Good post. Bump!

[EveningStar]

2006 ping!

[Toby06]

nice!

[Yaelle]

Bump!

[Alia]

That was beautiful.