06/30/2026
They did their part, now we need to do ours, always remember where we came from and why we are here.
Benjamin Franklin famously replied, "A republic, if you can keep it" when asked what kind of government the Constitutional Convention had created. This 1787 warning means that a free society relies entirely on the active involvement and moral responsibility of its citizens to survive.
Franklin's sharp reply underscored that a republic, a system where power is held by the people and their elected representatives rather than a monarch, is an experiment. He and the other founders recognized several threats to this new system:
- Citizen Participation: The endurance of the republic depends on the vigilance, education, and informed involvement of the public.
- Tyranny and Corruption: Republics are vulnerable to individuals who seek to seize power outside the bounds of the law or who disregard legitimate electoral processes.
- Vigilance: Democratic institutions are not self-correcting; they require constant upkeep and defense by the electorate
