The Problem of Extremists

We’ve all seen it and we’ve all heard about it, political extremism is everywhere.  Whether or not we choose to listen to what those people have to say is what really guides our country.  Lately, I would say our government and our media has been more open to the discussions of extremist than listening to those who preach the founder’s message.  Why is this?  Is this new change due to people being disconnected from the past because of bad teachers or is it because we are looking to change something that the “experts” say is outdated?  Whatever the reason is, there is history to show us what happens when we let those who want to radically change get power.  Just to name a few radicals that have gotten power; Mao, Che Guevara, Adolf Hitler, Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin.

All names we’ve heard, all names we try to distinguish ourselves from.  But, unfortunately, there are people in our country who found their beliefs on the actions, words, and examples that these people have left in the history books.  It is these people who are going to cause the most trouble and chaos in our Republic.

Thomas Jefferson predicted that there were going to be extremist on both sides of the political spectrum.  Either way they went, “left” or “right”, those extremist were going to pull America toward a tyrannical “LEFT” (according to the founder’s spectrum).  Thomas Jefferson had this wisdom to share with us.

I have spoken of the Federalists as if they were a homogeneous body, but this is not the truth. Under that name lurks the heretical sect of monarchists.  Afraid to wear their own name, they creep under the mantle of Federalism, and the Federalists, like sheep permit the fox to take shelter among them, when pursued by dogs.  These men have no right to office.

The President, (under) the oath he has taken to support the Constitution imperiously requires the instantaneous dismission of such officers.

I hold the President criminal if he permitted such to remain.

Wow, that is a lot to take in, but it is extremely powerful!  The President and his associates are bound to the protection of the Constitution, period.  The president and his associates don’t get to pick and choose what they want to enforce and what they want to over look while they are in power.

Jefferson often conversed with President Washington about the fact that those who lay closest to the President may in fact be the most treacherous and dangerous to the liberties of the Republic.  By being so close, they have the most immediate influence.  Jefferson wanted Washington to realize that there may be people in his administration looking to push oppressive legislation on to the people or award themselves with oppressive powers.  This danger has not gone away with history, in fact, this danger has only increased.  With people dissociating themselves from the Constitution and its values, for example Van Jones of the Obama administration, becoming more “popular” today, the president needs to continuously test and measure the loyalty of his advisors.

Washington responded to Jefferson’s fears by saying,

“…the Constitution we have is an excellent one, if we can keep it where it is.”

Washington realized that the only way to keep our newly founded country in the right direction would be to keep the Constitution alive by actively living the values and strictly following the guidelines laid down by it.  The further we strayed from or “interpreted” the Constitution, the more the meaning and strength of the Constitution will be lost.