A Little Civics Lesson

Just the other day I was listening to a local radio show, one of those where they discuss politics and current events and such, and this guy calls in and asks how it is that there are things that are clearly wanted by large majorities of the American people, and yet those things are not being done. Then he says, "Since we're ruled by the majority..." and the host cut him off and said basically, hold on there, we're not a democracy. The guy reacted with shock and says "We're not?" The host explained, no, we're a Representative Republic, which means we vote for the people who make the decisions, but we don't vote to decide every individual decision that comes along. Of course the host was exactly right, but this exemplifies just how ignorant many Americans are about how their Government works.

I have had people before, who seemed to be fairly well informed, who were just totally convinced that we live in a Democratic Republic, which is a total Oxymoron, such a beast cannot exist, and yet, they are committed to the idea that such is our Government. No, as stated above, we are a Representative Republic, or, it could also be accurately described as a Constitutional Republic, the only thing thing that we do that bears any resemblance to democracy is the way that we vote to elect our leaders, but that does not somehow stamp us with the identity of a democracy.

A democracy is a fearful master, for the rights of any minority can be utterly trampled by the majority at any time. It is, simply put, majority rule, which often would lead to mob rule, and anyone not in the mob would simply be trampled underfoot. Democracy is the antithesis to liberty, or, at least one of them.

Perhaps Benjamin Franklin put it best when he said, "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote."