A Constitutional Republic, If We Can Keep It

Printed from: https://newbostonpost.com/2017/09/17/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.

James Madison said it best when he said that the powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined and to be exercised principally on external affairs, such as war, peace, diplomacy and foreign commerce, and that foreign commerce is the area which the power of taxation will, for the most part, be connected.  Indeed, Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution lists the enumerated powers of the federal government.

Unfortunately for Americans, nearly 80% of our federal budget goes to fund programs not within the enumerated powers of the Constitution, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, ObamneyCare, HUD, the Departments of Education and Transportation and the EPA as well as interest on the debt associated with deficit spending to support these programs.  Spending on these programs accounts for about 15% of our gross domestic product.  Imagine the economic productivity boost we would achieve if we could shift 15% of our GDP away from federal spending on unconstitutional social programs that fail to solve the problems that they are charged with solving and redirect that spending towards the productive private sector.

In this week’s Torah reading Nitzavim-Vayelech (“You who are standing”), Moshe told the Children of Israel that on that day, they will be entering into the Covenant of the L-rd, thy G-d.  Moshe commanded the Israelites to Love G-d, to walk in G-d’s ways, and to keep G-d’s commandments, and that if they did so, then G-d would bless and keep them.  However, if they turned their backs to G-d to worship other gods, G-d would curse and afflict them for doing so.  On this Constitution Day, Americans living in these United States face a similar time for choosing as the Israelites faced in their day.  We have to choose between turning back to G-d and adhering to the Constitution in the political and civic arena (the blessing) or continuing to swallow small doses of socialism to the point where we have accepted full-blown Communist tyranny (the curse).

I serve as the treasurer of the Massachusetts Faith & Freedom Coalition Affiliate.  I am excited to announce that we will be hosting Camp Constitution’s Hal Shurtleff at 7 p.m. Tuesday September 26t at the North Brookfield Police Station (55 School Street in North Brookfield, Massachusetts).  Camp Constitution’s mission is to enhance understanding of our Judeo-Christian moral heritage; our American heritage of courage and ingenuity, including the genius of our United States Constitution; and the application of free enterprise, which together gave our nation an unprecedented history of growth and prosperity, making us the envy of the world.  Camp Constitution seeks to motivate, inspire, and activate this generation of Patriots as well as the next generation of Patriots who will fight to preserve and defend the Constitution from those who want to remake America into a modern-day serfdom.

 

Joshua Norman is an Auburndale resident.