To Our Founding Fathers, I Just Want to Say, “Nice Try”

The mistakes our Founding Fathers made at the end of the Constitutional Convention in 1789 are more numerous than you might believe. However, all of their errors can be credited to their naivete. They wrongfully assumed future leaders would possess the same integrity, dignity, principles, and morals which they shared. They failed to understand the weakness of most men and their desire for wealth and power at the expense of the people they were elected to represent and serve.

Loud and angry debates were commonplace between the most and least populated regions and states. Hindsight is of no value, but it does reveal much of what has happened in Washington as our country entered the 21^st century, as a result of decisions made to appease smaller states.

What is wrong with America’s political system? The number is high, but a few changes would have given the democratic republic more power to prevent corruption.

First and foremost would have been term limits on all three branches. It is not a badge of honor to have been in office for multiple terms. It is an irrefutable fact that with each term a member of the legislative branch amasses more power. The truth is, “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The poster boy for this old adage is Moscow Mitch McConnell. This old man has accomplished nothing of value for his country in 40 years as a United States Senator.

Once the only respected branch of government, the Supreme Court is now composed of six right-wing extremists. With lifetime appointments, they will be guilty of devastation beyond belief in the future. Once I realized that the Court had been corrupted, I knew that all hope was lost. Our government is now the most corrupt in the world and therefore the most incompetent.

The Electoral College was another gift to smaller states. It allows the states to choose our president and nullifies millions of individual votes every four years. The people have no voice in our presidential elections. This is an affront to any democratic nation. It exists only in America, which makes the United States the worst nation in the category of developed nations.

The legislative branch should have been given power over the other two branches because these men and women were chosen by the people. Recently, the Supreme Court has surrendered the intent of our Founding Fathers and gave powers to the executive branch opposed by the men who wrote the Constitution. They rejected the idea of an autocratic leader by any title they might be given.

Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, Adams, and the others had a dream. Sadly, the dream is dead.

“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” John Adams

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” John Adams

Op-ed by James Turnage

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