Right-Wing, Extremist, Maniac - or - The Classical Centrist

By Douglas V. Gibbs

The title of this post is the label given to me by a few folks at an event I spoke at this morning who stormed out before I said a word. They made the determination that I am a Right-Wing, Extremist, Maniac because I was there to speak about the Constitution.

Interestingly, in the strictest sense, the Constitution is dead-center on the political spectrum.

It is amazing how intolerant the folks that call for tolerance can be. So much for coexisting, right?

Since I am a constitutionalist, I call myself a "Classical Centrist."  The Constitution takes a left-wing idea of big government to create the federal government, and then takes a right-wing idea of limiting principles, listing enumerated authorities expressly granted on the pages of that Constitution, to restrain the federal government.

Dead-Center.

The problem was that the Articles of Confederation, the constitution before the constitution, created a government too weak to protect the union.  Shays' Rebellion, which pitted the American Revolution Veterans against creditors and the courts, was too much for the weak government to handle. The Confederate Government of the United States was unable to form a force to dispatch the insurrection, and it was unable to tax anyone for the funding of such a force.  What wound up happening is that the merchants of Boston put together a mercenary force to put down the rebellion by American Revolutionary War Veterans, instead.

Could you imagine if corporations created a mercenary force to go after our Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans?

In August of 1786, at the Annapolis Convention, it was decided the Articles of Confederation needed to be "fixed."  The date was set for May of 1787, at which time delegates from twelve of the thirteen States (Rhode Island refused to participate) met in Philadelphia for the endeavor. It was decided, once inside the convention walls, that the Articles were not salvageable, and a new government would need to be created, through the writing of a new constitution.

The arguing and changes of mind by the delegates encouraged them to keep the convention secretive, because they feared the populace losing faith in their leaders for their indecisiveness and squabbling.  The doors were closed, and the windows were closed, as the heat of Summer approached.

After the first four or five weeks, the debating had been so intense that nothing was accomplished. Ben Franklin, the elder of the delegates, had quietly sat as the fighting ensued. He finally stopped the proceedings, indicating that something was missing. How could it be that during the Revolutionary War they were on their knees praying to God, but now at this critical time Divine Providence was ignored?

Dr. Franklin recommended they pray before each session of the convention.

During that time, prayer was taken seriously, and they felt a clergyman should be present to lead the prayers. Since they could not afford to pay a member of the clergy to come to the convention to lead them in prayer, nor did they want an outsider to be able to report to the outside world the chaos going on behind those closed doors, they decided not to pursue the idea of prayer. I am sure, however, that the delegates began to perform their own personal prayers after that.

Later, after the creation of the United States Congress, Benjamin Franklin's idea for prayer came to fruition. Based on his recommendation, prayer has been a part of the beginning of each session of Congress ever since.

George Washington added to involving God with our nation, with his Thanksgiving Proclamation.

When I compare where I am with understanding the Constitution, and my political beliefs, I am realizing more and more how much in common I have with the Founding Fathers, and if thinking that way makes me a Right-Wing, Extremist, Maniac, all I can say is, "I am in good company."

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary