No Liberty in a Democracy

There is no liberty in a democracy. Democracy by its very nature makes liberty subservient to any majority vote of the people. In a pure democracy, voters could decide, for example, that no driver's licenses would be issued to blue-eyed, blond females. If such a proposal got a majority vote, then the driving privileges of those fitting this description would be revoked in a pure democracy.

This simple yet profound fact has been lost on much of the American public today. The United States was NEVER a pure democracy, and rightfully so! Our form of government is what is known as a 'constitutional republic.' The Constitution that was approved by our Founders guaranteed the protection of certain individual rights, regardless of any 'majority vote.'

Even the term 'representative democracy' is a misnomer due to the fact that it gives the impression that our representatives can do anything they want as long as they get a 'majority vote.' But even Congress cannot pass laws that violate the liberties protected by the Constitution.

This is the essence of a Constitutional Republic. When a Republic approves a Constitution that contains provisions that guard the rights of, say, blue-eyed, blond females to drive, then no matter what the majority says, those particular females can be issued licenses.

The core principle behind this form of government is that there are some things that should not and MUST not be subject to 'majority rule.' This notion was articulated by the Founders when they said we had been endowed by our Creator with 'certain unalienable rights.'

In other words, those rights, which are inherently ours as human beings, cannot be negated by ANY majority vote.

The Founders believed that some things are so sacred, so basic to human dignity, so inherent to life itself, that they should not be endangered by the shifting tides of public opinion. Thus, we cannot negate freedom of the press, of religion, or of assembly, or of speech by the votes of the people. The Constitutional guarantees of those rights in our Republic always trump public opinion or majority votes.

A perfect example of this is the San Francisco law that banned handguns within the city. By a majority vote, the citizens of San Francisco outlawed guns within the city limits.

Gun Owners of America went to work on the case and got the law overturned, based upon California law. However, an even higher law actually forbids such attempts to rob citizens of their rights. It is the U.S. Constitution.

The City of San Francisco can no more legally outlaw guns than it can outlaw freedom of the press. Both are protected by the U.S. Constitution.

A dark, sinister force is at work in America today, however. It is the notion that somehow the only thing a city, state, or even federal government has to do to obliterate liberties guaranteed in the Constitution is to get a majority vote either by the citizens or by their representatives. This is the tactic used in cases with regard to the 2nd Amendment. City by city, state by state, local governments have decided that they can simply vote rights away, a phenomenon Thomas Jefferson referred to as 'elective despotism.'

Jefferson also warned that the creeping crawl of 'elective despotism' is so tempting and enticing that periodically liberty must be preserved with the blood of tyrants and patriots.

Have we reached the tipping point today? Are we nearing a precipice where, if we fall off the edge, bloodshed will follow in our streets as patriotic Americans seek to recapture liberty from the hands of tyrants who wish to limit freedom?

San Francisco certainly pushed the limits of Constitutional protection. They lost this round. But what about next time?

What about stringent gun control laws in New York State?

The fact of the matter is that if the freedom to own and bear firearms is taken away by elective despotism, the next thing will be your freedom of religion, then your freedom to assemble, then freedom of the press, and of course, your freedom of speech will not be far behind.

Can they actually do that, you ask? They sure can if they continue to dupe the public into believing that we actually live in a pure democracy (or a society ruled by judicial fiat rather than a strict adherence to Constitutional law).

We are already hearing rumblings about the McCain plan to shut down independent bloggers by removing their right to free speech. Freedom of religion is certainly endangered in America today, unless you are a Muslim. And with the collectivist tyrants who are set to take control of Congress in January, you can be assured of a renewed attack on your right to firearms. Under the guise of 'making our streets safer' they systematically remove the freedom to own and use firearms unhindered by government intrusion.

The 99% of gun owners who are law abiding citizens do not deserve such an assault on their liberties!

This is why the Constitution is so vital. The Constitution protects citizens from power-hungry politicians and misguided voters who think they somehow are doing all of us a favor by taking away our rights.