If ever the free institutions of America are destroyed, that event will arise from the unlimited tyranny of the majority

That concept was conceived in the minds of brilliant men more than two-hundred-forty nine ago. It has worked so far, and there is no reason to believe that it has outlived its day. The majority, then, becomes the voice of government and not the other way around. Unfortunately, when the majority abandons the moors that established this great republic, the majority itself becomes a threat to the very freedoms established by the framers of our constitution. Alex De Tocqueville once warned us, “If ever the free institutions of America are destroyed, that event will arise from the unlimited tyranny of the majority.”  And while there certainly is a danger of “unlimited tyranny of the majority, it is just as dangerous when it is the “unlimited tyranny of the minority. The key words are “unlimited tyranny.” Since the mid 1960’s this nation has been slowly casting off the moral restraints that are characteristic of a righteous nation. We are becoming a government ruled by people who exercise no limitations, no restrictions, and no self-control. What began as a trickle seems at times to have become a roaring tidal wave that threatens to engulf the very fabric of our nation. Hollywood continues to crank out PG-13 and R rated movies even though statistics have shown that most of the American people desire good clean movies for their viewing entertainment. The same thing can be said regarding the homosexual movement. A minority runs rampant over the wishes of the majority. The impact that such a small number have made upon laws and social agenda is astonishing. The Defense of Marriage Act was struck down a little over a decade ago, and since then the highest court in our land has ruled in favor of homosexual marriages. If ever there was an example of the tyranny of the minority, that was it. Abortion is another moral injustice that has been promoted by the minority. Wholesale murder is performed in the name of freedom, and while the majority sits in silence, the minority continues to make laws that legalize and promote all such ungodly behavior. I think Archibald Stevenson was right on track when he pointed out that “we are in grave danger of dissipating this splendid heritage through mistaking if for democracy.” The Supreme Court has also ruled against prayer in school on the basis that the demands of the minority run ruff-shod over the desires of the majority.  Well excuse me! It seems that the complaints of the minority have, in fact, been addressed with little or no regard for the wishes of the majority. I could understand such ruling in favor of the minority if the ruling addressed a moral issue. But how dangerous is prayer in school? While sex education (which in many cases is nothing more than a license to teach sex perversion under the guise of “education”) is accepted and promoted, while condoms are distributed, and while the religion of humanism is freely promoted in our public schools, our high court evidently thinks we need to make sure that we keep the great danger of freedom to pray out of our schools. Why, such might just corrupt the minds of our youth and undermine the very foundation upon which this nation was built! I will readily admit that the tyranny of the majority is a legitimate concern in any society, but I fear that the tyranny of the minority is a monster that lurks in the shadows, ready to spring forth and destroy the very freedoms that we shall celebrate this very day.

I hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July holiday. And may God’s longsuffering bless us with many more such occasions to reflect upon our freedoms given to us by our Lord.

Tom Wacaster