Good wake-up call Darwin.  Some of us still believe in the process.
-----Original Message-----
From: Hawkins, Darwin <[log in to unmask]>
To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, December 18, 1998 1:04 PM
Subject: NON PD - - -Re: SAVE DEMOCRACY NOW


>ONLY THING THAT CAN BE SAVED IS THE REPUBLIC!!
>
>In reference to the extremely long post from
>
>Wojtek Dworak <[log in to unmask]>,
>
>where numerous references were made to our democracy and the will of the
>people and the public polls that do not support impeachment,
>I would add the following extremely long comments to a previous post of
>mine!
>
>RE- Impeachment & Signoff
>
>- - -(a portion of my previous post)- - -
>
>First of all, let me say that I have my own personal opinion about whether
>President Clinton should be impeached, but my personal opinion doesn't
>matter in the scheme of things. What matters is that we are a Republic, not
>a Democracy. For those of you who don't know the difference, here is a
short
>explanation:
>
>Only in a Democracy does the majority rule. In a Republic, representatives
>are elected to conduct the affairs of government using whatever knowledge
>and ethics they have and their conduct is governed by the Constitution and
>the laws of the land. The concept that the majority can be wrong has been
>demonstrated many times in history and the founding fathers recognized this
>to the point that even the electoral college was created and given the
power
>to override a popular (majority) vote. So it means nothing to me what the
>polls show one way or the other. The process that is going on is dictated
by
>our Constitution, and I believe it is the most precious (next to the texts
>brought together in the Bible) document every created. It is not for the
>people to decide by polls and surveys, it is for Congress to decide as our
>duly elected representatives.
>
>To those that think our country is going to come to a complete standstill
>and that the outcome is going to affect our health care, I say this. During
>the serious and severe trials of WWII we lost a president, but the country
>didn't collapse. Our resilience as a country is much more than most people
>give credit for. That just shows you what a great country we have and that
>our forefathers really did create the most fantastic system of government
>ever on this earth. Will our health care suffer? I don't know, and frankly
I
>don't care. If the Constitutional process is not followed, then I can
>practically guarantee our health care will eventually suffer, if not in our
>lifetime, then in our children's.
>
>My comments would be exactly the same regardless of who the president was
or
>how great (or awful) he was perceived to be. No one man is responsible for
>all the changes (for good or bad) that take place during his (or her)
>administration. Should have absolutely nothing to do with following
>Constitutional law regardless of where it takes you. Our very freedom to
>even do what we do on this list depends on the sanctity of that document.
>
>- - -
>Here are my additional thoughts:
>
>I used to think as many of you still do that we were a Democracy. This was
>and can be extremely frustrating. It was only when I truly understood that
>we are a Republic and understood the significance of why the founding
>fathers invented that form of government (we were the first and only one
>that has ever been), that all the frustration and agonizing went away.
>
>Our form of government was not created by a majority vote of the people. A
>few men with an unbelievable dream brought it into existence via our basic
>Constitution. It was so perfect that more learned men and women than you or
>I have brought forth only a few additional amendments over the years as
>times and experience has required. Even with the amendments, it was not a
>majority vote of the people that adopted them, it was by 2/3 majority of
3/4
>of our State Legislatures (where, by the way, we also have the Republic
form
>of government, not a Democracy!). I could even go so far as to say it (the
>Constitution) may have been divinely inspired.
>
>The Constitution does not give the option of censure! It must be amended
>before we will have that option.
>If in trying to uphold and comply with our Constitution, the nation is
>paralyzed for months, then it isn't worth the paper it is written on.
>Congress has no choice, partisan or non-partisan notwithstanding, but to
>comply with the Constitutionally mandated process, because the process does
>matter.
>
>Yes, I do most certainly agree that anyone's actions outside the courtroom
>and grandjury are private matters.
>But, if a person stands up and takes an oath to "uphold and defend the
>Constitution and the Laws of the United States of America" or takes another
>oath to "tell the truth, tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth",
>and it appears they did not do one or both, then let the chips fall where
>they may. That includes you and me and them!
>
>Finally, we, the people, do not have a vote on impeachment. Majority does
>not necessarily rule in a Republic. Again, the recorded history of the
world
>shows the wisdom of our forefathers in realizing the majority can sometimes
>be wrong. The only remedy for the majority is to elect competent
>representatives with a platform that represents your views, but even then,
>they can change their minds (politicians do make unfulfilled promises) or
be
>diluted by the checks and balances of having an opposition party to contend
>with. Can you imagine the chaos that would occur (daily? weekly? monthly?,
>yearly?) if, we, the people, tried to rule ourselves by majority opinion?
>
>Oh, one more thing to challenge your thinking, be you Republican or
>Democrat, Liberal or Conservative, voter or non-voter, whatever and with
>respect to bi-partisanship versus partisanship. Would you want all three
>branches of our government 100% populated by the same party? Even your
>party?
>
>THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS NOT A DEMOCRACY, IT IS A REPUBLIC, THANK
>GOD!!!!!!
>
>Sorry this was so long. Helps me sleep better at night! Otherwise, stuff
>just keeps rattling around in my head, and that gets real noisy!
>
>Love to all,
>Darwin