Safeguarding the Republic

Prioritizing the Constitution Over Individuals

The political landscape of modern America is rife with adulation for individuals, where cults of personality overshadow the bedrock of our nation: the United States Constitution. This document, ratified in 1788, embodies the collective wisdom of the founders, prioritizing institutional integrity over transient leaders. George Washington, in his Farewell Address of September 17, 1796, expressed profound unease with political parties, viewing them as divisive forces that obscure the Constitution's promise of individual freedom. He stated, "However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government." Washington's plea was for a party-less republic, where liberty, not factionalism, guides governance. This freedom entails a solemn duty: to perpetuate it across generations, resisting encroachments masked as security or equity.

Historical Cautionary Tales of Subverted Regimes

History abounds with cautionary tales of regimes that commenced with virtuous aims only to succumb to internal subversion. The Federalist Papers, authored by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay between 1787 and 1788 to advocate for the Constitution's ratification, warn explicitly of such perils. In Federalist No. 10, Madison dissected the dangers of factions, arguing that a large republic could mitigate their effects through representation and diversity, preventing majority tyranny over minorities. These insights were informed by classical examples, such as the Athenian democracy, which began as a beacon of citizen participation but devolved into mob rule and eventual conquest by Macedon in 322 BC, undermined by demagogues exploiting divisions. Similarly, the Roman Republic, established around 509 BC with ideals of balanced power among consuls, senate, and assemblies, eroded through civil wars and populist reforms. Leaders like the Gracchi brothers initiated land redistributions with good intentions to aid the poor, but these sparked violence that paved the way for Sulla's dictatorship and Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon in 49 BC, marking the republic's demise. The French Revolution of 1789, inspired by Enlightenment principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity, descended into the Reign of Terror under Robespierre, where revolutionary zeal justified mass executions, illustrating how noble beginnings can yield authoritarianism.

The Founders' Genius in Crafting the Constitution

The founders' genius lay in crafting a Constitution that anticipates these threats. Article I delineates Congress's powers, Article II the executive's, and Article III the judiciary's, with amendments like the Bill of Rights (1791) explicitly protecting freedoms of speech, religion, and assembly. Federalist No. 51 elaborates on this separation, positing that each department should have a will of its own, with checks like veto power and judicial review to curb abuses. This structure echoes Montesquieu's Spirit of the Laws (1748), which influenced the framers in dividing powers to preserve liberty. Yet, Benjamin Franklin reminded us of the fragility: at the Constitutional Convention's close in 1787, he reportedly quipped, "A republic, if you can keep it." His earlier quote from 1755, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," originated in a Pennsylvania Assembly dispute over funding defenses without taxing proprietors, but its broader application critiques any barter of rights for comfort.

Contemporary Inversions: The Gun Confiscation Debate

Today, this wisdom is tested by policies that invert priorities, reminiscent of Orwell's 1984, where language distorts reality and power corrupts absolutely. Calls for gun confiscation exemplify this. Proponents argue for safety, yet empirical data challenges their premise. In 2024, gun-related deaths totaled about 40,886, with over half being suicides and roughly 16,576 homicides. Comparatively, motor vehicle fatalities hovered around 39,345 in 2024. Despite this, automobiles face no abolitionist movement, as they are deemed essential despite risks from drunk driving or mechanical failures. The Second Amendment, ratified in 1791, secures the right to bear arms not merely for hunting but as a check against government overreach, as articulated in Federalist No. 46 by Madison, who envisioned armed citizens deterring federal tyranny. Landmark cases like District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) affirmed this individual right, rooted in English common law and the founders' experiences under British disarmament attempts during the Revolution.

Even when narrowing the focus to children under 18, the disparity holds. In 2024, approximately 1,403 children and teenagers under 18 died from gun-related injuries overall. While comprehensive data on children killed specifically in mass shootings is limited, major incidents like school shootings claimed the lives of at least 15 people in 2024, many of whom were children. By contrast, motor vehicle crashes killed approximately 1,129 children 14 and under in 2022 (latest detailed breakdown), with teenagers 13-19 totaling 3,048 deaths in 2023, suggesting around 2,500-3,000 under 18 annually. These figures highlight how calls to restrict firearms overlook comparable or greater risks to children from vehicles, further illustrating inconsistent priorities in liberty-eroding policies.

The Abortion Debate: Masking a Grim Toll

An even more profound inversion occurs in the abortion debate, where "choice" masks a grim toll. In 2024, abortions numbered over 1,038,100, a rate of about 15.4 per 1,000 women of reproductive age. This figure eclipses annual gun homicides by a factor of over 60, yet it is sanitized as "reproductive health." Constitutionally, the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause protects life, with historical interpretations viewing abortion as a state matter until Roe v. Wade (1973) imposed a federal framework. The Dobbs decision in 2022 overturned Roe, aligning with Federalist principles of federalism by returning authority to states, as Madison explained in Federalist No. 39: the Constitution creates a compound republic where national and state sovereignties coexist. Ethically, this echoes ancient warnings; even Plato in The Republic discussed infanticide's moral perils in ideal states, while Roman law under the Twelve Tables (451 BC) prohibited late-term abortions, reflecting societal valuation of life.

Broader Orwellian Shifts and Historical Parallels

These issues highlight a broader Orwellian shift: security trumps liberty, death is choice, and factions eclipse the common good. The Soviet Union's trajectory from 1917 Bolshevik promises of worker paradise to Stalinist purges exemplifies how ideological purity undermines foundations. In America, we must reclaim constitutional discourse. The Preamble's goals - to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for common defense, promote general welfare, and secure blessings of liberty - demand transcendence of individuals.

Compelling Action Through Founding Principles

Washington's farewell, Franklin's caveat, and the Federalists' expositions compel action. Legally, the Constitution's supremacy clause in Article VI binds officials to its defense. Historically, revivals like the post-Civil War Reconstruction Amendments (1865-1870) reaffirmed liberty amid crisis. Today, we face analogous tests: resist personality cults, scrutinize liberty-eroding policies, and educate on founding documents.

The Constitution as Our Enduring Compass

The Constitution endures as our compass, not any leader. By invoking historical collapses like Rome's or France's, legal bulwarks like amendments and precedents, and statistical realities on guns and abortions, we affirm that liberty's stewardship is generational. Let us heed Orwell's dystopia as warning, not prophecy, and restore focus on principles that unite rather than divide. Only then will we honor the founders' legacy and secure freedom's flame for posterity.

Michael J Badagliacco, “MJB”

Michael is a United States Air Force Veteran, father of five and grandfather of three, passionate about this country and the Constitution. 

Editor-in-Chief, Colorado DOGE Report.