You will NOT find the word “democracy” in either the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution. The United States of America was established as a Republic — period.

So, what’s the difference between a Republic and a Democracy?  It is important to today’s debate about social equality and government involvement in our lives.

A Republic is guided by an overarching set of laws — a charter or constitution — which, in our country’s case, explicitly guarantees the individual’s rights against the desires of the majority. Each of us has the indisputable right to think, worship and vote anyway we want.

A true Democracy, on the other hand, allows the majority to rule and to disregard the desires of any individual who doesn’t agree with them. Think of a democracy like this: If the majority of your neighbors voted to paint all houses bright purple you would be forced to follow suit.

If Ben Franklin were still with us, I think he would step forward to remind us that America was ordained to live as a united, law abiding country, tolerant of each other’s differences, and content to change laws via an orderly and legal process — not mob rule.

James Madison, often called “the father of the Constitution” wrote, “Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they are violent in their deaths.”

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* This article tries to maintain the original intent of the author Diane Dimond.  It was rearranged, edited for length, and has minor formatting changes.  Ms. Dimond website is at http://www.DianeDimond.com

** The article contents were found at https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-republic-or-a-democracy_b_6306120