At the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Franklin was queried as he left Independence Hall on the final day of deliberation. In the notes of Dr. James McHenry, one of Maryland’s delegates to the Convention, a lady [Mrs. Powell] asked Dr. Franklin “Well Doctor what have we got, a republic or a monarchy.” Franklin replied, “A republic . . . if you can keep it.”
Yesterday, September 17, 2017, was a very special and memorable for our nation — another great milestone. I had the pleasure of spending it with Pastor Cody Anderson, his wife Amy and the congregation of Faith Center Fellowship in Meno, Oklahoma.
Meno is a small town of 200 just west of the northern Oklahoma city of Enid. How humbling, and honorable, to spend the 230th anniversary of the signing of our U.S. Constitution with 400 true, patriotic, American Christian Constitutional conservatives.
However, are we truly living up to the challenge issued to us by Benjamin Franklin on that famed day 230 years ago in 1787? Is it time we examine ourselves based upon the inquiry that King David, the author of Psalms, made?
I found it very interesting that, as I drove back down from Meno on I-35 south to Dallas, I didn’t hear a single mention of Constitution Day on Fox News, as I listened in on my Sirius/XM radio. I bounded back and forth between Fox News and The Message, a Christian music station, and heard nothing at all.
One would have thought it was a perfect match, Constitution Day and Sunday; after all, our first freedom is our freedom of religion and the free exercise thereof. But the progressive, socialist left would try and tell you that you only have a freedom of worship — and that’s limited to the defined walls of a place of worship.
I remember when I was speaking on a college campus and a chucklehead student actually thought I was violating the separation of church and state. I asked the student what backed up that analysis, and she arrogantly answered, “The U.S. Constitution.”
Oh boy, howdy, I was just tickled … I pulled out my Cato Institute pocket Constitution and asked her to show me. Yep, you know the rest of the story; this is how illiterate our students are, and this was a political science class!
At least President Trump made mention of Constitution Day in his weekly address; this would have been a perfect occasion for a tweet, too. As reported by the Washington Examiner, “President Trump urged Americans in his weekly address to defend, protect and promote the “birthright of freedom” ahead of the 230th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.
“Let us recommit ourselves to our founding principles and rededicate ourselves to our glorious heritage. We have inherited a birthright of freedom. We must defend it dearly, protect it jealously, and promote it proudly as one nation under God,” Trump said in his weekly address, published Friday.
“We must rise to the task of self-governance, prove worthy of the sacrifices made to carve out this magnificent nation, and we must give our loyalty to our republic and its citizens in all that we do.” Sunday marks “Constitution Day,” and Trump praised the founders for creating a constitutional system that “protected our liberties by enshrining the rule of law.”
But, honestly ask yourself: Are we still a nation of laws abiding by and respecting our rule of law? Heck, do we, as a nation, even know what our Constitution represents and entails?
If we go back to that infamous day in 2008 when a young senator running for president of these United States asserted, “We are five days from fundamentally transforming the United States,” no one challenged him, or questioned him. No one in our news media said, “Stop right now; what’s Barack Obama proposing with this “fundamental” transformation?”
We’re a Constitutional republic. We have a rule of law that fundamentally defines our system of governance. What exactly was being proposed? What were we to fundamentally transform into?
Sadly, most of our nation didn’t even know what Obama was proposing we transform from. So for eight years, we lived under the delusion of being a constitutional monarchy — exactly what Benjamin Franklin said we were not.
Imagine this: We have a generation of young people in America who believe that a president can just do whatever he wishes by executive order. Well, that’s the case if you have a progressive, socialist agenda; anything else in the minds of some, especially the liberal progressive media, is unacceptable.
I found it very interesting that, as we were going into this Constitution Day weekend, a lower court judge ruled that the federal government — namely the Department of Justice — couldn’t withhold grant funding (meaning taxpayer dollars) to a city or state that refuses to abide by our rule of law.
I was under the distinct impression that, if we’re a nation of laws enshrined in our Constitution, those laws applied to everyone. I guess that if you’re a far-left progressive, socialist mayor of the City of Chicago or elsewhere, you can declare sanctuary for those who have violated our sovereignty and are here illegally.
And let’s be clear: the opposite of legal is illegal. So, do we have a rule of law, or was that just antiquated writing from a bunch of old white guys who owned slaves? It seems that to many the latter is the case, and therefore, in the eyes of these anti-Constitutionalists, it’s all negated … you know, that whole “living Constitution drivel.”
Now consider this: Why did we not hear anything from lower court judges when Barack Obama signed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)? Obama himself stated that he didn’t have the authority to take the action he eventually took. As we’ve shared previously, our rule of law gives the power for matters of naturalization to the Congress in Article I, Section 8, Clause 4.
I must laugh, because many folks haven’t read the Constitution, and mainly our elected officials, who also said nothing when Obama took his unconstitutional action. And we’ve all seen those man-in-the-street interviews — sadly, many don’t even know the three branches of government.
Why didn’t a lower court judge rule against Barack Obama’s amending of a law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), by executive order? Our system of governance enshrined in our Constitution says that amendments to a law must go through the legislative branch. Nowhere in Article II of the Constitution does it state that the executive branch can amend laws.
But I guess that when the rule of law is no longer the rule, so be it. And we’re no longer fighting to keep — heck, we don’t even understand that we have — the Republic.
See, the most important elected position in our republic is not president, governor, senator or congressman — it’s the school board. It’s there that the determination is made about what we shall teach our children. At this moment, it’s quite clear we’re failing them — or is it purposeful and intentional to not instruct them in our rule of law?
Our foundations are being destroyed, so what shall we — righteous American Patriots — do? We must fight. We must demand that our Constitution be taught; and perhaps develop after-school programs to instruct future generations.
I find it so very awesome that those who come to this nation legally find it an honor to study and be tested on our history and rule of law, the Constitution. One must ask: How many natural-born Americans could pass the exact same test?
Another Constitution Day has come and gone, and there was no grand hoopla, no celebrations, no holiday … guess that means it has no real meaning.
Always remember, “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
Re-posted from AllenBWest.com
