often look back and see events that were unbelievably destructive to the republic: 1913 and the passage of the Sixteenth & Seventeenth Amendments. The Depression-era attempts by the federal government to regulate the economy.
Let’s not forget the 1970s, when the federal government tried to regulate everything else. Sometimes, I look back and wonder what people at those times were thinking. Now, I’m watching while people are actively trying to destroy what made America great, and I’m just as confused by what they are doing as those I observe in history.
I’m pretty sure you’ve heard the saying, “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.” That idea of standing around playing an instrument while all that you had, loved, and cared about was destroyed should be disturbing to all of us. Over almost 250 years of American history, there have been times when people not only stood by and watched but often assisted in bringing policies to weaken the republic.
Today, there are those who are attempting to convert the union of sovereign states, a republic of republics, into a monolithic bastion of tyranny. The myth of the National Popular Vote is a perfect example of that. The repeated use of political power, at both the state and federal level, to destroy our political opponents is running rampant through what we used to call the rule of law.
For the most part, We, the People, are simply standing around while others are setting fire to the republic. Will we be the ones that fiddle while America burns?
The Constitution Study with Paul Engel on America Out Loud Talk Radio can be heard on weekdays at 4 pm ET. Listen on iHeart Radio, our world-class media player, or our free Apple, Android, or Alexa apps. Listen to other episodes of The Constitution Study, available on podcast.
