Our Founding Fathers initially rejected democracy
Thanks, Cindy Ryman, for your timely letter on Jan. 18, reminding our citizens to “Fly the Flag.” We’re most proud to have our office flag flying at 30 feet. Your use of the words “our democracy” is universal, yet the words “our republic” is seldom to be found. The word “democracy” is not found in our nation’s Constitution of 4,500 words, containing the last amendment of 1992.
Few will remember that democracy was overwhelmingly rejected by our Founding Fathers during preliminary debates on the forms of government our new nation might pursue. The word “democracy” is found on less than 50 of the 1,400 pages of a collection of the founder’s political writings from 1760 through 1850. They believed a republican form of government with a stable constitution would guarantee the citizens “unalienable rights.”