OPINION:
On Sept. 17, 1787, Elizabeth Willing Powel asked Benjamin Franklin: “Well, doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” His answer: “A republic, if we can keep it.”
Two hundred and fifty years later, have we kept it?
I have been fortunate enough in my life to have traveled and seen many other countries of the world. None comes close to America. So what is it about this great country that stands above all others combined?
What is it that makes life here so much better? Is it something complicated or simple enough that a child could comprehend it?
America’s success can be explained in two simple steps. First and foremost, we believe in the Holy Bible. Our country began with the principles found in Proverbs 3:1-10. Second is capitalism. How many people worldwide know what capitalism is?
Capitalism can best be defined by comparing it to something most people understand: baseball and the World Series. Baseball begins with a book of rules created by people who understand how the game should be played. The Constitution is America’s equivalent of a rule book.
Umpires are the police force. The teams compete, and one of the 30 becomes the World Series champion. America’s champions are the automobile, the light bulb and the airplane, to name just a few. In general, those who invent our champions get richly rewarded.
So, have we kept our republic? What about the 29 teams that did not make it? What if the umpire decides to shrink the strike zone for the weaker team? How many computers were invented in Cuba or Russia?
Yes, we still have a republic, but it is barely hanging on.
ED HUBER
Copperhill, Tennessee
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