A Constitutional Republic, If We Can Keep It
Sunday, September 17 marks the 230rd anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution. On September 17, 1787, 39 out of the 55 delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the Constitution of the United States and submitted it to the 13 states to be ratified by each individual state. When we consider the gargantuan growth in the size, scope, and cost of our federal republic since the Constitution's ratification (and in particular since the start of the 20th century), it is time for our elected and appointed public servants to start adhering to the Constitution when conducting the public's business. We do not need politicians who act like the public's masters and who ignore the Constitution because they think they know what is best for us.
When Benjamin Franklin left Independence Hall after the signing of the Constitution, a woman asked him "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, "A republic, if you can keep it." If Americans want to keep their republic, they will need to stop looking towards government and start looking towards G-d as our rights come from G-d, not from government men. If they want to roll back our republic's $20 trillion federal debt, its $4.1 trillion federal budget, and its 80,000-page federal regulatory code, they will need to turn away from party politics, political personalities, and click-bait media outlets and turn back to the Constitution. Fortunately, Hillsdale College offers a free pocket-size copy of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence online if you order it on the college's website.
