Democracy's torch bearers
In 1787, as Benjamin Franklin emerged from the Constitutional Convention, he was famously asked what kind of government the delegates had created. His response — ”a republic, if you can keep it” — was not a guarantee of success, but a challenge. It was a reminder that the power of the American government does not flow from the top down, but from the bottom up.
Today, we find ourselves at a crossroads where that fundamental truth is being tested. We are hearing whispers — and sometimes shouts — from the halls of power, including from the President’s Deputy Chief of Staff, suggesting that “might makes right.” This philosophy argues that those with the most influence, the most money, or the loudest platforms should dictate the direction of our nation and the world.
But that is not the American story. Our history is defined by the rejection of that very idea.
The Architecture of Accountability
The founders understood that power is a heavy thing, and if left unchecked, it tends toward tyranny. That is why they didn’t just give us a government; they gave us a toolkit for holding it accountable.
https://www.brightamerica.org/p/democracys-torch-bearers