“I have long been convinced that institutions purely democratic must, sooner or later, destroy liberty, or civilization, or both.”

Pathetic victorian politic

We hold this truth to be self evident.

Totally and absolutely false. Democratic institutions evolve and change and are at the whim of the people. This whim is the essence of freedom, to be free to change. Those of you, and you know who you are, that would like things written down hard and fast like or dictated by one or just a few (or preferable by yourself) to be followed by the many are the ones to be feared as a threat to the freedom of the many.

Histories of democratic institutions (congresses, parliaments etcetera) will bear out the truth to what I have written

Note that his frame of reference was from 1859 or before.

Waffler you do make a good point - without written guidelines (the Constitution) democracy will always fail. There must be protection for the minorities and that must be sacrosanct - hence the Founders need to separate church and state.

Robert, I couldn't agree with you more. Now that the socialist theocracy is firmly down the road in implementing its Atheist Utopia's tyranny and despotism, we need to return to a separation of church and state and a government of law.

"..and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands..." Our nation was founded as a Republic for a very good reason, and that is because democracies historically fail BECAUSE they are at the whim of the people to change on the basis of popular opinion or mood. A government based on the rule of law NOT prone to flippant change by the majority, is the protection needed for our life and property and is vital to our nation's long term prosperity. Scott P.S. The Constitution of our Republic provides protection from the excesses of the Federal government (with its democratic system of governance) and protection for private property by the rule of law. Those protections under our Constitution are being ignored in this Republic as we speak. This is due largely to the apathy and ignorance of the sovereign Citizens of the Republic which, by guile, have voluntarily become the (lower case c) citizens of the Federal government, a seemingly subtle but in fact significant change in lawful status. Hence the popular confusion about being a democracy, when in fact we were founded to be a republic. Want more? Start here, google video: Overview of America.

Thank goodness America is not a pure democracy (yet). Minorities need no more protection than does the individual (the ultimate minority) -- protect the rights of all individuals (i.e. the inalienable rights of humankind), and no majority can usurp what was not granted lawfully. Not everything is up for vote -- therefore, America is not a democracy nor should it ever be.

Mike, you said ..."Atheist Utopia's tyranny and despotism, we need to return to a separation of church and state and a government of law." Exactly, we need to remove the Atheist Utopia's RELIGION from its control over American so Americans can return to having the rule of natural law dictating the respect of the rights of the individual protected by our Constitution over them again for that is what the atheist's purely scientific amoral ethical vision of the world is, their religion and so their utopian idea. These visions of utopia, like other ideas of religious utopia, must be put back behind the wall of separation subordinate to the rule of law like anybody elses and where other religiously held beliefs of organized religions are kept to prevent their manmade doctrines of utopian control of all free individuals through the creation of civil laws that control every aspect of an individuals life from cradle to grave that force individuals to fit the criteria needed for compliance to the dictates for the creation of their utopia. That wall of separation was built on the foundation of belief in the natural rights of man which are self evident truths to keep any religiously held belief of a vision of utopia from influencing civil laws created under the rule of natural law.

Natural law and the dictates of our Creator. Mercy is made self-evident through and by His endowment. Liberties are brought forth through Sound Doctrine and precedent. Chophshiy, ancient economic liberty, freedom from bondage and tax, at your pleasure. Eleutheria liberty, physical, manumission from slavery, sold unto the Creator, being set free from the slavery of man. Apeleutheros liberty, spiritual freedom and access to the presence of God without denominational attachment. Mercy and Truth go before the throne of judgement. Mercy and truth have met and kissed. " The honest individual, through their love of liberty and honesties intrinsic value, become the prime indispensable, irreducible element. In order to form a more perfect union. " True liberty cannot exist apart from the full rights of property. For property is the only crystalized form of free faculties."