The End of the Beginning

The Federalist Papers The United States of America was founded on a few simple principals. Documented for all to see in the form of a constitution. You might remember it as that, "We the People..." thing, depending on where you were schooled. Or maybe the subject of an entertaining movie or two. Writing in the first "Federalist Paper", the General Introduction, Alexander Hamilton explained among other points, that in the papers that followed, our founding fathers would be making the case for ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Hamilton specifically wrote: I propose, in a series of papers, to discuss the following interesting particulars:

• THE UTILITY OF THE UNION TO YOUR POLITICAL PROSPERITY
• THE INSUFFICIENCY OF THE PRESENT CONFEDERATION TO PRESERVE THAT UNION
• THE NECESSITY OF A GOVERNMENT AT LEAST EQUALLY ENERGETIC WITH THE ONE PROPOSED, TO THE ATTAINMENT OF THIS OBJECT
• THE CONFORMITY OF THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTION TO THE TRUE PRINCIPLES OF REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT
• ITS ANALOGY TO YOUR OWN STATE CONSTITUTION
• and lastly, THE ADDITIONAL SECURITY WHICH ITS ADOPTION WILL AFFORD TO THE PRESERVATION OF THAT SPECIES OF GOVERNMENT, TO LIBERTY, AND TO PROPERTY.

It is that last item that I fear we have just voted away: preservation of Liberty and Property. I mourn for the passing of what our Declaration of Independence called, "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..." On a positive note, our president elect will have a majority in both houses of Congress. The next two years will provide the proving grounds for this landmark election. His actions and those of his party members will quickly shape America's future for all to see. What comes to mind? The adage, "Be careful what you wish for, it might just come true." To those that embraced this particular brand of change: "The ball is in your court." As for me? I will mourn the end of our heritage. Jeff Kinsey