Max Stites
Letter to the Editor
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
February 12, 2025
Ben Franklin warned us to tend to our republic or risk losing it
Near the end of the Constitutional Convention, held in Philadelphia in 1787, a lady approached Benjamin Franklin and asked, “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Franklin replied, “A republic, Madam, if you can keep it.”
In that exchange, Franklin highlighted the fundamental importance of the necessity of protecting a republican form of government because of its fragility.
The Constitution, created in 1787, established three branches of government: the legislative (Congress), executive (President), and judicial (Courts). It set up a system of checks and balances and separation of powers so no one branch could overwhelm the other. The first 10 amendments, the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and the 10th Amendment defined federalism, the division of powers between the federal government and the states.
The Constitution has served this country well. It has guided us through periods of war, abuses of power, and civil unrest. It and our Declaration of Independence have been beacons of hope for people all over the world.
In this current period of presidential overreach (i.e. the lack of transparency in the firing of inspectors general, the invasion of government agencies by Elon Musk, the intimidation and harassment of federal workers, acts of retribution on the FBI, CIA, and Justice Department, etc.), it is imperative the Congress assert its constitutional authority over matters dealing with appropriations, spending, law making, and oversight. To do less, is to diminish the system of checks and balances and create a president who may become an authoritarian. We must remember our history! Once we were ruled by a king and royal governors. Franklin, Washington, Jefferson, and others experienced those times and then, after the American Revolution, they lived through the chaos of the first government of the United States, the Articles of Confederation. The writing and adoption of the Constitution, creating a republic, offered hope and stability as it must today if, as Franklin said, “…You (we) can keep it.” If you, too, are concerned, please contact Rep. Jeff Hurd and Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper.
Respectfully,
MAX STITES
Grand Junction