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Preserving Liberty for Another 241 Years

One thing that I have learned is how incredible our Republican system of government is. James Madison described America as a “mixed government.” By taking the positive attributes from each form of government, monarchy, democracy, aristocracy, and oligarchy, they are made into the best form of government for human life by checking and balanced the natural tendencies of each one.
Just like government has its flaws, so do we. Our natural submission or rebellion hurts a republic more than anything else. When we say that the government has too much power, we are submitting to the monarchy. The government only gains more control when we give it to them. When people in government break constitutional boundaries by passing unconstitutional laws, they have created injustice. Obedience to limitless laws creates a limitless government by our consent. These limitless laws are either submitted to or fought against in democratic ways. We start to bash the president for creating a bad executive order, when in reality Congress funds those executive orders. We start to blame the Supreme Court, when in reality Supreme Court ruling do not create law. This is submission. This keeps the monarchy or democracy, not the Republic. A true republic is maintained by strict boundaries and separation of powers both vertically and horizontally. The absence of these principles slowly chips away at the structure of a republic until it becomes a different form of government. Non enforceable, limitless government boundaries are the “customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed.” Limiting a government to directly follow its original contract is not anti- government. In fact, it is pro- government. It is pro- government with clearly defined boundaries. Federalism and local self governance help to define these boundaries.
The United States is moving ever closer to mass democracy. Only participating in democratic activities is detrimental to a Republic. While casting an informed cote is an important practice. only voting is submitting to a passive democracy. Democracy is tyranny of the majority. The way to keep freedom alive and well is to learn self governing principles through habit and long training to avoid the tempting exclusively democratic ideals.
The ideals of freedom have drastically changed since the founding of America. In the Progressive era, freedom was considered to be provided by the government. Government was thought to give the freedoms of speech, expression, and freedoms from want and fear. These freedoms are based off of the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and property. Government or any governing documents should not give or take away unalienable rights. Unalienable rights can not be given nor taken away by men. We remain free when our government helps to protect those unalienable rights. Freedoms is the protection of these unalienable rights. If a law of the government goes against an unalienable right, then the law is invalid and need not be obeyed. The great wars in American History such as the American Revolution, Civil War, and World War II were fought to maintain unalienable rights. Freedom is the maintenance of unalienable rights. When we maintain our freedom and liberty by Republic actions, we are the maintenance crew of this great Republic.


Laine McKay Norton is a 16 year old junior in high school at Heritage Academy in Mesa, Arizona. Laine is a company member with the prestigious youth ballet, Ballet Etudes. She participates in her school's debate club and newspaper, and has owned a small business since she was 12 years old. She is a student at the Center for Self Governance and enjoys studying human nature and social contracts. Laine has traveled with her father speaking at various conferences. Laine currently resides in Gilbert, Arizona.
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