In my book of meanings, "republic" is defined as "a state or nation in which the supreme power resides in all the citizens entitled to vote...and is expressed by representatives elected directly or indirectly by them and responsible to them." "Republican" is defined as "favoring or in accord with the nature of a republic." "Democracy" is defined as "government in which the people hold the ruling power either directly or through elected representatives." Doesn't sound like a whole lot of difference--except for that "directly" alternative.
I have been told--told somewhere in the recesses of my past experiences--that a democracy is in effect when all of the people vote on issues and therein the majority rules. I have been told that a republic exists when all of the people elect representatives to make the decisions on issues.
"I pledge alleigence to the flag of the United States and to the republic for which it stands."
One reason that I'm republican is that I live in a republic. It just makes sense to me that, if I live in a republic, and accept its system of government, that I am a republican. Another reason that I'm republican is that true democracy--democracy as it has been described to me--is impossible in a very large and very populous country. There is no way that all of the people of the United States, or any one of the states, could assemble and vote on every issue. The only solution to this impossibility is republicanism, a republican or representative form of government. That is what the founding fathers formulated, and that is what we still have--I think. I like for things, and me, to be correctly labeled. Even if I were not a member of the Republican Party--an elephant--I would still be, as a citizen of a republic, republican in practice. Even if I were a member of the Democratic Party--a donkey--I would still be, as a citizen of a republic, republican in practice.
I choose to be republican, and a Republican, because democracy without republican implementation poses the threat of mob rule--which is a real threat to a stable society. A lack of stability is a real threat to a peaceful and a prosperous society. It frightens me when our political process takes on the appearance of mob rule.
I mentioned above that the definitions from my book of meanings don't indicate a whole lot of difference between a republic and a democracy. Which brings me to my big problem--to the difficulty that I have with my personal identification as either a Republican or a Democrat. Our elected representatives tend to merge into one group. They all become politicians! My book defines "politician" as "a person actively engaged in politics." It defines "politics" as "the science and art of political government." I could pursue the word at length in the book, but, very subjectively, I define the term "politics" as the science and art of getting elected and the word "politician" as a person skilled in the science and art of getting elected--elected as a representative of the people.
The over-riding need to do what is necessary to get elected, and to stay elected, introduces a certain commonality. Don't you think? And it is necessary to get elected. Isn't it? But, when the need to get elected erases the politicians' underlying principles and leads to policies destructive of the nation, what then? At that point, I have a certain reluctance to identify with either Republicans or Democrats. I have thought about re-registering as an Independent.
A few posts back, I said that, although my blog is entitled "White Christian Republican," I'm not really all that White. I may not be all that Republican.
