LETTER: Thank goodness we’re a republic
To the editor:
We hear much today about the “spread of democracy” throughout the globe. The Founding Fathers would be distressed over this. The United States is not a democracy; it is a republic! There are significant differences between these two systems of government. Loosely defined, “democracy” can mean ‘government by the people.’ This is not the most correct usage of this term, but it is acceptable as long as we remember that we are speaking in generalities.
Democracy in its purest form is mobocracy. In a pure democracy the source of authority is the people. The majority rules in all cases, and the will of the majority becomes law. In such a democracy, if the majority votes to take rights away from the minority, the minority would lose their rights. If the majority voted that something should no longer be a crime, then it would no longer be against the law. This will never happen in our Republic because we are governed by the rule of law. The source of authority for the laws of our country is God’s law, or, Natural Law. If you don’t believe this then reread the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. Because Natural Law states that something will always be wrong, it will always be against the law in our Republic. The rights of every citizen in our country, whether in the minority or majority, will always be protected.
Can you imagine the chaos that would prevail in a pure democracy? Our laws would change as fast and as drastically as our tastes in fashion and music change. Can you imagine a pure democracy in Iraq? The Shiites, who account for about 60 percent of Iraq’s population, would absolutely tyrannize the Sunnis, Kurds, and other ethnic groups. John Quincy Adams wrote, “The experience of all former ages has shown that of all human governments, democracy was the most unstable, fluctuating, and short-lived.”
More on our country as a Republic can be found in article 4 section 4 of the Constitution. Let’s remember why the Founders chose to create a Republic instead of a Democracy.
Ben Nilson