One of the most fascinating aspects of the men who declared their independence from the monarchy of England back in 1776 was how well read and learned they were. They did not base the Constitution that they ultimately created on only their own thoughts, but on the many books and essays over which they had pondered. They were men who were well versed in philosophy and political thought, not just rebels who had grown tired of the tyrannical hold that held sway over them. They were willing to debate with one another over the proper ways of creating and living in a democracy. They were modern thinkers of the time who also seemed to understand and appreciate the changing nature of the world and its societies. They realized all too well that rules had to be flexible enough to adapt to the changes that are inevitable in the evolution of progress. They anticipated the future and used past history to anticipate human tendencies that might one day threaten the grand dream of life and liberty that they were literally risking their lives to create. They did not view the world around them as a static place in which a rule once made should last even as circumstances changed. 

I always imagine those founding fathers being quite excited about the modern world and in awe that the flexibility of their system has lasted for so long. At the same time I suspect that many of them would not be surprised by the convulsions of civil war and strife that have happened along the way to the present. In fact, many of them predicted such things just as they believed that or country would ultimately eliminate slavery and allow women a larger role in governing the nation. They realized that most people are wary of throwing out long held views overnight, so they envisioned an incremental approach to change even as they themselves were willing to overthrow monarchical domination of the colonies. In a sense they understood that some ideas take time and others demand immediate attention. 

So much of our political landscape these days in based more on feelings than study. We have some representatives who are well versed in the deepest understanding of history, laws, philosophies, and critical thinking but far too many are sadly lacking in even fundamental knowledge. We see lawmakers advocating for changes based more on personal preferences than the truth of situations. There is often a staggering indifference to facts and the process of discussing the best methods for adapting to an ever changing reality. Instead we hear a constant clanging of meaningless slogans aimed at our feelings and targeting our biases. Some of our leaders seem to be unfamiliar with even the most rudimentary understanding of our Constitution, our history, and the scientific information that is critical to our survival. Instead of seeking truths from all over the world, they would isolate us as though our safety has nothing to do with our place in a planet of such grand diversity. 

Our founders were worldly and innovative men. They were willing to explore new ideas and look forward rather than backward. They also understood that our nation could not be an island in which we ignored the rest of the world. When their revolution was won they immediately sent representatives to European nations to emphasize the legitimacy of their government. They understood the need to cultivate allies from abroad and they often imported good ideas from other countries as well. They did not isolated themselves or pretend that only they had all the answers. That is what kings and dictators do.

Writings and commentaries from the times demonstrate that those men never believed that the work of building a nation dedicated to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness was ever going to be complete. It was designed to be a work in progress, taking into account the inevitable changes of the human experience. They were the innovators of their times, not staid conservatives defending the status quo. The war that they created with their declaration of independence from the British monarchy was indeed revolutionary. They were not looking backward but forward as I believe they would have wanted all of us to one day do. 

They left work for us to complete. They expected that we would be willing to send representatives to Washington DC to keep their dream alive. They envisioned an active rather than a static government. They were also bright enough to predict where future problems might lie. In fact, their essays often echoed their concerns. It’s all there in writings from James Madison, John Adams and his wife, Abigail, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington. They understood the human temptations and prejudices that might unravel democracy. They realized that life is not static and that the generations to come would have to adapt and change as needed. Some even hoped that issues like slavery would be adequately addressed sooner rather than later. They worried about devotion to political parties and the negative effects that such tribal thinking might create. They were men of science who saw the future in our willingness to embrace inventiveness. 

I often imagine the men who sat in that hot room in Philadelphia attempting to find common ground for building a democratic foundation feeling both a sense of wonder in how far our nation has come. At the same time, however, I wonder if they would be appalled at the dire divisions that have made a kind of mockery out of the branches of government that they created. I wonder if they would lecture us on what they had intended when they set a new government in motion. Would they be proud of us or disappointed? 

I suspect that they would be overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of our nation’s growth and the expansion of information that is at our fingertips. They would need time to take in the complications of the modern world but eventually they might feel compelled to school us on what they meant when they wrote the Constitution and added the Bill of Rights. Theirs might be an unbiased observation intended only to preserve the essence of democracy while adapting it to the changing world. I’d like to think that they would bring us back together to tackle the tough questions in the same spirit that prodded them to break from the old and move forward to the new. 

We the people have the power to send a loud message to those who would represent us. We do not want a king as President. We want our Congress to work on important legislations, not waste time on endless investigations just to create meaningless media frenzies. How members vote should be based on what is best for the nation, not how it will affect an election or their personal power. Members of our Supreme Court should not have even a taint of political preference. They should judge each case on its merits, not their individual beliefs. We can return our country to the a working administrative, legislative and judicial focus with our votes. Those who only want to preen and pander need to go. I believe it is what our learned founders would advise us to do. They risked their lives to give us a gift. We should cherish it by becoming educated citizens like they were instead of being lured by ignorance and lies that prey on our emotions.