“As the Founding Fathers were emerging from Constitution Hall in Philadelphia, a woman from the crowd called out:
“Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?”
“Dr. Benjamin Franklin turned to her and replied:
“A Republic, if you can keep it.”
(The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, ed. Max Farrand, vol. 3, appendix A, p. 85)
My question to this is, Do we even want a republic?
Some people might be offended by this comment. The founding fathers were inspired by God to make this country, and who am I to question divine providence? Such a tale is a bit of revisionist history told by modern christians. The founding founders were deists, and did not even believe in the judeo-christian God. The founding fathers were not perfect by any means. Afterall, many of them were slave owners, literally owning people while seeking freedom for themselves. The government they created was not perfect by any means either.
But this republic has failed its citizens too many times over. In just 2016, the will of the people was subverted by the electoral college. A system created to give the white slave holders of the south more political power. That seems like a bold statement, but consider this. The census counts everyone, voter or non voter, and in the case of black people or “other persons” as the constitution puts would be counted as 3/5ths of a person.
Look at this chart
Think about it, a whole ⅓ of the south was slaves. And all of those slaves counted in the census gave power to the white men that were actually allowed to vote. The electoral college was a tool of oppression.
It is a relic of the past, in a time where the framers of the constitution doubted the judgement of the people, and when information traveled slowly. Perhaps, there would be a good reason for a delegate to go rogue, as things could change between the vote and the convection. The electoral college wasn’t entirely the product of racism, there was some reason behind it.
But the electoral college has outlived its usefulness. It's time the will of the people is adhered to.The electoral college isn’t the one part of our republic that ought to be changed. The senate has two senators per state. For what, so the states are equality represented. What are states though except arbitrary lines drawn in the sand. Why does it matter that states are equally represented? It should be the people that are equally represented. All people. And even people from outlying areas. Puerto Ricans should have a voice in the government. The lack of democracy is so egregious, that people in the very nation’s capital have no voice in the federal government and no voice in who becomes the president. And do they pay federal tax in Washington DC? You bet they do.
We have become the literal thing we fought, a government that taxes its citizens without their consent or representation. A government that doesn’t listen to the will of the people. It's time to change our country into a true representative democracy. A system of government that listens to the people, and not some archaic system.
I’m calling for an abolishment of the electoral college and the abolishment of the US senate.
No senate? But the legislative branch has always had two parts.
Well, I think it should still.
And here is a new part of the legislative branch, I call it, “The House of Randoms”
And it is what it professes to be. Instead of being elected, The house of randoms randomly selects its members. Each member serves a single year, and each year the entire house is redrawn. The results are truly random, meaning it's possible to serve any number of years consecutively or nonconsecutively, but it is unlikely. However, this is a topic for another day.
In summary, America needs change, America cannot rest on its laurels. The former tools of oppression need to be removed from the American system if we are to be a true democracy. If we truly want to be the land of the free and not just a land where some people are free. Where some people are listened to and others are not. Let's improve this great country.
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