You say you want a revolution

The Beatles sang about their feelings on Revolution in 1968. Jerry Bowyer wonders if anyone has changed his or her mind.

Jerry Bowyer has an excellent article today at Townhall.com entitled The July 4th Question: 236 Years After the First Revolution, is it Time for a Second?. Mr. Bowyer makes clear that the Declaration and the Constitution are tied together, and indeed, that that the one informs the other. Contrary to what most people seem to believe today, the Founders were highly educated, and well read men who were aware of events happening not only in the Colonies, but in Britain and the world in general. They were well aware of history, and conscious of the historical nature of what they did. They believed in the Natural Rights of man. In drafting the Constitution, they recognized the Sovereign nature of each of the States. Each Sovereign State would delegate to the Federal government a small piece of its power in order for it to perform certain well defined functions for all the States. Thus, it would be proper to speak of "these United States" as opposed to "the United States."

With that as a background, have we yet come to the point where we can say, as Thomas Jefferson did:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

I hear people say that we can not vote our way out of the mess that has become of our country, and my personal experience says they are correct. Even the elections of 2010 haven't really changed much. When a Constitutional scholar such as Judge Bork does not see, or worse, does see but will not admit the philosophical unity of the Declaration and the Constitution, I do not see much hope for a return to the Constitution. The President, the House, the Senate, and the Supreme Court are all acting against the interests of the American people. The people, themselves seem often to be ill informed, and unconcerned. As long as they have their bread and circuses, they are content to live in Master's plantation. They vote time and time again for politicians who steal their substance, and send petty officers among them to harass them, but they don't see the connection.

Yet, I am not willing to go to war. Revolutions usually end badly.  We were incredibly lucky in having so many wise men in one place, at one time.  I doubt we would be so lucky a second time.  Perhaps I am the eternal optimist, but I always think: "One more election. This time the people will vote the right way."