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It was a sunny day in Philadelphia in 1787, and the
Constitutional convention had just finished its work. A
woman, watching the esteemed gentlemen congratulate
themselves on their effort, approached one of the young
nationıs leading statesmen, Ben Franklin. "Mr. Franklin,
what kind of government have you given us?" she asked.
"A Republic, madam," Franklin quickly answered. "If you
can keep it."
A Republic if we can keep it. Over two hundred years
later, we are still struggling to determine whether or not
we can keep Mr. Franklinıs Republic. On this 4th of
July, America faces more unique challenges to our Republic
than ever before. After September 11th, international and
domestic terrorism has become a real threat -- one unlike
anything we have experienced. Yet, apart from testing our
nationıs moral courage and unity, these threats are laying
siege to the very foundation of our democracy: our
individual freedoms.
Franklin's comment hinted at the dilemma. How can you
keep a Republic together and unified, when itıs very
existence depends on its citizens remaining free?
The founding fathers did a remarkable job outlining the
structure of our government. They knew well that
government is not the source of our liberty but rather
that we are "endowed by our creator with certain
inalienable rights." When later crafting a Bill of Rights,
they were careful to enumerate our liberties, rather than
grant them. They rejected the premise that any government
had the power to grant liberty knowing that if this were
true, then that same government could take liberty away.
Over the past two centuries, our nation has swerved
from one extreme to the other on the subject of individual
liberty. But the Constitution has always provided the
boundaries for the debate. If the Constitution didn't have
the answer we needed, we amended it -- something which has
happened only 27 times in 213 years. These amendments
serve only to clarify or enhance the "inalienable" rights
enumerated in the Constitution.
Now, the Constitution itself is being tested in a way
no one ever thought possible. The greatest risk to our
Constitution does not come from foreign governments,
terrorism or unscrupulous politicians. The greatest risk
to our Constitution is ignorance. Ignorance of how it was
conceived, what it says and how crucial it is to our
freedom.
To paraphrase Mr. Franklin, we can keep our Republic .
. . only if we can keep our Constitution.
This lack of appreciation for the Constitution could
not have come at a more difficult time. The fear of
terrorism is driving many Americans to look past the
Constitution in a search for security. Unfortunately,
readily available surveillance technology and a federal
bureaucracy all too willing to use it is only making the
challenge to our Constitutional freedoms even greater.
The concepts of privacy and individual liberty are
under attack, and only the Constitution will serve to
protect them. It has withstood the test of time, and will
withstand this crisis as long as Americans never sacrifice
their liberty for security.
Again, Benjamin Franklin understood this fact well.
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a
little temporary safety," he said in 1755, "deserve
neither liberty nor safety."
On this 4th of July, take a moment to read your U.S.
Constitution and keep a copy handy. You may need it the
next time you hear a politician tell you that you need to
give up a little bit of your freedom so he can keep you
free.
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