America is Not a Democracy!
By: Stephanie Smith
SMS72581@aol.com 

From the website Trust The People! [http://www.geocities.com/countercoup/], I take this quote: 

"Bush should step down and ask electors to cast their vote for Gore. If the guy who got the most votes doesn't win, then IT ISN'T DEMOCRACY!"

It may surprise some people to hear this, but the United States of America is not a Democracy. It's a Republic. If you want to be technical about it, our country is a Democratic Republic.

There are reasons for this.

In a direct Democracy, the majority rules - period. So if 51% of the population decided to outlaw coffee, coffee would become illegal. Never mind the 49% who drink coffee, their rights wouldn't matter under a direct Democracy. The chief problem of Democracy is majority tyrannization of the minority.

Systems such as the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Electoral College help to check Democracy. These are the establishments that make our country a Republic. The will of the people is still recognized, but the country is Scotch Guarded against mob stupidity. Also, quite importantly, the rights of the minority are protected.

In the Declaration of Independence, it says 

"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes..."

In a direct Democracy, there could be a spontaneous massive upheaval of Governmental policy due to a mere whim of the majority.

Also, our Constitution is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a "living document". The constitution means exactly what it says and not what judges interpret its meaning to probably be. This is another protection against our country's foundation being upheaved for light and transient causes. About the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, Dr. Richard G. Stevens wrote 

"Such a recovery of the true meaning of the documents is essential if we are not to be at the mercy of enthusiasms and slogans."

If anybody reading this is a Democrat who voted for Gore and is now protesting the Electoral College, I ask you these questions:

1.) How many of you only found out about the Electoral College due to this election?

2.) If the situation were reversed, if Bush were ahead in the popular vote but Gore was about to win due to the Electoral College system, how many of you would be genuinely protesting the Electoral College now?

3.) How many of you would even care?

4.) And finally, how many of you would be praising the Electoral College as part of the system that makes our country work, enabled Gore to win by law, and helps to truly represent the will of the People of our great Nation? 

Answer honestly now.

One more point I have is that, if the situation were reversed as proposed in question #2, do you think that Republicans would be up in arms against the Electoral College, much as the Democrats are now? My answer: I don't think so. Maybe a few ignoramuses would claim it as antiquated (there are some of those in every party), but on the whole, Republicans are more Constitutionally literate, understand its value, and aren't willing to shred the foundation of our country in order to get their guy in office. That last part sound familiar?

In conclusion, we must protect our Constitution, and in doing so, the integrity of our country, as well. To those who say that the Democrats are fighting dirty and we must fight back just as dirty, I say no! We must NOT, under any circumstances, sink to their level. It would only further erode the honest foundation of our country, and make us no better than them. We must fight back honestly, call them on Voter Fraud [http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_btl/20001106_xcbtl_voter_frau.shtml] charges, expose them for the desperate, disrespectful, and morally-void people that they are. To those who are protesting the Electoral College under guise of trying to preserve our "Democracy", we must wake them up and show them what the Constitution is there for. To those elected officials who are calling recounts and pulling strings wherever they can in order to get Gore into office, we must all band together to reach up and bite them in their collective @$$, reminding them that they are NOT the ruling class of this nation.
This is not as impossible as the elitist Democrats have intimidated us into believing. If enough Republicans just wake up from their fatalistic discouragement-induced lethargy and fight back, we could save our nation. A great deal is at stake here, and we must fight back with passion and perseverance to save "this Republic, for which we stand".

Stephanie, it is a pleasure to share you with other likeminded people. It is doubly enlivening to see that you are so bright at such a young age. Though General George Washington's army was manned in key positions by people even younger than you are, in today's society, a jewel with your wits, keen intellect and sharp reason is tragically rare. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us -- and for reminding us that there are Liberty Wise people in the upcoming generation on whose Americanism we will be able to rely. Please write more when the spirit moves you to share. 

Finally, here is a great quote from another of America's modern patriots that echoes a key point from your poignant article: 

"Democracy is more dangerous than fire; fire can't vote itself immune to water."  ~~ Michael Z. Williamson

Respectfully,
Angel Shamaya
Director, KeepAndBearArms.com