Pints and Quarts

By Tammy Derouin

During the years the Constitution was being drafted and when our country was in its infancy, the taverns were another gathering place to discuss the role of government.  A place where most go to escape the weight of reality became a place to exchange thoughts and ideas.

Of course, it really shouldn't be a surprise that the hot topic of the day would be which form of government our founders would draft. It shouldn't be surprising that people would take an interest and discuss the pros and cons of what was taking place. Gone were the days of the ruling King of England. Ties had been severed. There would be many benefits and some hardships to overcome. With freedom comes responsibility. We declared our freedom, fought for the right to claim it and then had to figure out how we were going to survive without the protective shield of the motherland.

We were a new country which was about to prove to the world it was possible to live free.  We would become the exception to the rule.  The wolves were at the door. We were challenged in 1812, in our infancy, but the will to live free was still strong. We had to work to survive as individuals and as a country. The government wasn't going to do it for us. The entitlements were life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Debates would take place among the founders and among the towns’ people.  What would be the role of government?  Would we control it or would it control us?   Thankfully, the answer came in the form of positive liberties; what the government couldn’t do or shouldn’t do on behalf of the people.

I recently joined a breakfast group where the issues of the day are discussed. Politics is the center of discussion. I love to listen to the debates. When a particular topic has run its course and there are differing opinions, someone will usually say, we can agree to disagree. Political views are as different as each individual. We are all different with unique experiences. We are not going to agree on every aspect of every issue. The discussion turned from politics to process.

No system of government is perfect.  What's important is the process we follow. The Constitution was a gift to future generations, a blueprint to guide us and prevent tyranny from devouring us. It's a well thought out plan that our founders drafted and agonized over as they established our system of government. How ingenious; a system where no one person or party rules over all. A governing system was created where power would be divided among several branches. Each branch has the power to check the power of the other and then take action to balance any over reach of power.

There is a process for a reason. The executive branch doesn't have the power to make laws. It has the power to enforce the laws. When the executive issues orders or mandates because it takes too long to go through Congress, the executive has taken liberties that aren't his to take. The balance has been altered. Going around Congress to get something done is following an agenda, not the Constitution.  Issuing orders and mandates without following the guidelines amounts to a king making a proclamation...Hear ye, hear ye by the order of... And having such orders posted and enforced throughout the land.  That’s called tyranny.  That's why we declared our independence. No one person could determine the course of every man, woman and child.

It really shouldn’t be difficult to imagine the discussion of our system of government over pints and quarts. Can you imagine walking into the modern day equivalent?  The loud table over in the corner is discussing the Constitution and how the process is supposed to work.  The walls are now covered with televisions.  Sports, advertisements and Keno have become the backdrop while getting together with friends.   I’m not saying it’s bad.  Everyone needs a distraction and to kick back and relax among friends.

Well, it was too early for ale but we were discussing the Constitution and its original intent over coffee and eggs.  I couldn’t hold back the smile when questions were asked by some, answered by others and then checked by referring to the Constitution.  There were at least three people in our group checking the Constitution on cell phones.

We are losing our freedoms because we’re allowing the government to take too many liberties.  We have the blueprint to get back on track but we must follow the correct process.  It takes a long time for a bill to become a law, and with good reason.  The process prevents the will of one from dictating to all others.

“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”


Thomas Jefferson