Martino: “A republic . . . if you can keep it.”

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The Constitutional Convention of 1787 conceived a United States Constitution that would govern our fledgling new nation as a limited representative republic and not as a pure democracy.  A republic is different from a democracy.  In a democracy, the majority can directly make laws, while in a republic, elected representatives make laws.  To a large degree, emotions rule pure democracies, while the rule of law governs in a republic. Basically, in a pure democracy, the majority has unlimited power to make decisions, sometimes, in a period of crisis driven passions creating chaotic results without regard for other individuals or minorities. Whereas in a republic, a written constitution limits the majority while providing safeguards for individuals and minorities. The Framers of the constitution loathed the chaotic tendencies of a majority controlled democracy which they feared would lead to anarchy and mob rule. In a republic periodic elections of representatives allow opportunities for a more peaceful and intellectual approach to the creation of legislation for the rule of law the Constitution of a Republic demands.

Fast-forwarding to 2020, we Americans are facing a myriad of crisis’s and system failures seemingly one on top of the other. Many of these crisis’s include, the Covid-19 killer virus that has severely impacted the health and economy of us all, acts of cruelty to each other, symptoms of racism on all sides, indiscriminant killing of innocent children in some of our cities, abuse of power by some in positions of authority, riots and looting, defacing and destruction of public and private property, an “autonomous zone” in major cities, disrespect for law and order, defunding and dismantling of police departments, a failing educational system, immigration issues, drugs and drug dealers everywhere and anywhere, a politically divided nation, and a Presidential election coming in November, just to name a few.

That’s a long and probably incomplete list of failures and crisis’s that is difficult to hide from. It’s a list of decay which did not happen over a month, or a year, or a decade. It’s a list that because of decades of neglect has not received the attention to the maintenance and leadership it required. Is this a Democrat or a Republican problem? Yes, it is. Is it a failure of the lack of leadership by our elected representatives on the Federal, State, and Local governmental levels? Yes, it is.

But in my opinion it is us, “We the people …” who bear the brunt of responsibility for the affronts to our Republic and Constitution that the above list highlights. As a people we Americans have in some respects selfishly cocooned and individualized our lives to such a degree that the promise and fulfillment of the American Dream for all of our citizens has slowly eroded. Today that Dream is being called into question while being attacked by mob rule with impunity. On all levels of government we have not adequately vetted and qualified our choices of representatives that we elect to the various political offices. To compound that error we re-elect these same representatives time and again even though they have not measured up to the Constitution, their promises, our expectations, or have addressed the list above with the necessary consistent leadership it requires. Perhaps, with our future votes we should heed the advice of Alexander Hamilton, who in Federalist 21 wrote, “The natural cure for an ill-administration, in a popular or representative constitution, is a change of men.” When the people’s trust is breached, regular elections allow for the dismissal of these unresponsive, unproductive representatives and new ones appointed. But we must all exercise our right to vote.

At the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 in answer to a question asked of delegate Benjamin Franklin, “Well Doctor what have we got, a republic or a monarchy.” Founding Father Dr. Benjamin Franklin replied, “A republic . . . if you can keep it.” How prescient are those words, some 233 years later! Today, more than ever, the challenge of his prophetic words, “A republic . . . if you can keep it”, still ring loudly in our ears as the ultimate American question.

How will we answer it?

 

Michael Martino is a 50+ year resident of Palm Beach Gardens. He is a recently retired owner of a 37 year-old small business, known as Family Flooring, a retail flooring store. He also was a Palm Beach Gardens City Councilman from 1972 to 1993. Mike served 12 terms as Mayor. Mike also was a two-term President of the Palm Beach County League of Cities from 1991 to 1993. He served on numerous Palm Beach County panels, such as, the County Traffic Performance Standards Ordinance Committee