There is a way out of the current crisis in America. It is not easy or quick, but it is possible. We, the people, must reengage in the business of government at every level. We must vote, and vote wisely. We must become educated on the principles of government and how a republic is supposed to work. And we must hold our elected officials accountable for their actions.  Thomas Jefferson said “We, I hope, shall adhere to our republican government, and keep it to its original principles by narrowly watching it.” This is the responsibility of every citizen; it is a responsibility that has been allowed to languish, but must be revived in these days if the country we have known and loved is to be preserved for our children and our children’s children.

If we are to preserve this nation, we must learn from the errors of those who have gone before us. Rome, once a great republic, deteriorated into tyranny before collapsing into anarchy. Other societies have risen to spectacular heights, only to disappear when the citizens failed to be vigilant over their rulers. We must not let that happen here.We must take responsibility once again for OUR government – so that “government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”