It’s easy to sit on the sidelines, complain and pass judgment. That’s what people do. People who aren’t in the game. That’s the only choice they have. Write letters to editors. Speak at government hearings. Write blogs. Organize events and stand on soapboxes. Serious complainers don’t bother talking about their grievances; they much prefer to take to the streets with old fashioned riots. Burn a few buildings, torch a few cars, kill and injure a few people — that’s the kind of criticism that makes headlines. But even a robust riot has a short shelf life. All in all, millions upon millions of critical opinions don’t amount to a speck of dust in the wind until election day. On that day, you have one vote — unless you happen to be dead in Chicago — where magically you might cast a dozen ballots. At times like this, when everyone is denouncing something or somebody, you’re thankful for the genius of a few white guys who in 1775 conceived and implemented a system of government with the types of checks and balances that give your one vote meaning. Their seemingly divine wisdom made it possible for you to slip and make a mistake without the fear of dire consequences.You might elect an incompetent President, or a nefarious legislator or an unethical judge. Not to worry. Because the weight of the system — a system based on the impervious Rule of Law — would stand guard and continuously eradicate the poison of human folly. At this very moment, you are witness to the Virtue of this system. When Barack Obama and Democrat Congress ignored the majority of the people and took over the nation’s healthcare system, you knew the Supreme Court would strike it down. But wait. The SCOTUS upheld ObamaCare by declaring that it was a tax and not a mandate. Even so, you weren’t overly concerned because you knew that a future GOP controlled Congress would either refuse to fund it or simply repeal it. Sure enough, the GOP came to power. And sure enough, Obama continued to flaunt The Constitution with executive orders. But wait. The GOP leadership decided that slashing Obamacare could backfire and suggested they could get it done if only they had a Republican in the White House. You have to admit this GOP betrayal rankled a bit, enough for you to exclaim, “Darn it.” But, then, you trusted that GOP defenders would stand shoulder to shoulder behind a formidable candidate to defeat one of the most despicable people to ever occupy public office. You were confident these stalwart champions would amass their armies and massive campaign chests to elect someone who finally would put an end to tyrannical government and heal the damage, including Obamacare. But wait. Incomprehensibly, GOP leaders harpooned their own candidate, and prominent conservative media voices pummeled him unmercifully.

You might as well face the bitter truth.

The Balance of Powers so carefully crafted by the Founders has given way to Absolute Power. The Virtue of the system has given way to the Dishonor of the system. Now, sitting on the sidelines, it’s altogether proper to point the finger. At a President who has always harbored a deep contempt for America. At a Congress that turns its cowardly tail time and time again as it abandons its sworn duty. At a Supreme Court that shows scorn for The Constitution it vowed to protect. At a Department of Justice that makes a mockery of its very name. At the FBI Director and his surrogates who dishonor the memory of all who held dear their vital mission. At a merciless Hillary Clinton who cheats and lies her way to power at the expense of decent people and a good nation. And at a polluted media complex that brings shame to a once honorable calling.

After they signed their names, several of the Founding Fathers sounded the warning bell. One of them was Tom Jefferson.

The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield, and government to gain ground. To Edward Carrington, May 1788

Experience [has] shown that, even under the best forms [of government], those entrusted with power have, in time and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny. Diffusion of Knowledge Bill, 1779.

I love to see honest and honorable men at the helm, men who will not bend their politics to their purses nor pursue measures by which they may profit and then profit by their measures.  To Edward Rutledge, 1796.

I do verily believe that … a single, consolidated government would become the most corrupt government on the earth.” To Gideon Granger, 1800.  

What has destroyed liberty and the rights of man in every government which has ever existed under the sun?  The generalizing and concentrating all cares and powers into one body . . . To Joseph C. Cabell, 1816.

Sorry Tom. You tried.