One of the most fervent voices of our country has continually stood out to me–that would be James Madison. He is, first off, an American with a strong voice and reputable character. His support for our Constitution and the government of the country was unwavering in his Federalist Papers. He held roles of Founding Father, statesman, diplomat, and the 4th President of the United States, but none as important as being a passionate, inspirational writer. During the later years of his life, Madison wrote to a fellow statesman, “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”
This quote seems fitting in our current America. Madison’s persistence on knowledge falls on mainly deaf ears these days. Americans of all ages are bombarded with misinformation or biased information from all sides. I’ve seen how social media and our news give information to people that they want to hear but leave out that which would sway their opinions. Our country has become more divided due to this fact. If we ignore these signs, we are directly going against Madison and his fellow forefathers’ wishes because if we allow our knowledge to be taken, we’re losing our greatest power of self-governance, or as Madison himself would say, “The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” Knowledge and truth must be passed on to keep our liberty in America.
The current state of our nation remains anxious and divisive following the presidential election. The Founding Fathers, especially Madison, did not want a country divided because of factions. What’s a faction? Well, James Madison would have the answer: “A number of citizens, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens.”
Our current-day factions grow stronger–but more divided each day. We see factions in our everyday lives, whether in the news, a political rally, or a social media post. This doesn’t always mean that factions are sucking the life out of our democracy. Madison himself admitted that factions are needed to keep liberty with the people because “ambition must be made to counteract ambition.” In America today, though, factions seem to be the negative driving force against our citizens. Politics isn’t an appropriate topic at the dinner table; people lose relationships because of politics, and we demoralize members of the opposing political party and divide ourselves based on a political candidate.
If knowledge is what our Founding Fathers prided on regarding our government, we as a country of Americans should have the common knowledge to find kindness and love for one another. Political factions can’t be torn down, but they shouldn’t be used to threaten another civil war.
America was created to protect the rights of its citizens, and if we continue down a path of ignorance and distaste for our fellow Americans, we are only headed against our forefathers’ wishes.
It’s time to recognize that our differences are healthy, and civil discourse is better than civil unrest. We are the United States of America, united under one flag with thousands of different views and experiences. Negativity toward our government doesn’t solve problems—coming together for a greater good and bipartisan agreement will improve our country. It’s time for political rivals and Americans to retreat from a place of destructive arguments and return to a time when Americans could treat one another with respect and decency.
America always has the potential to be better, and we should work toward being our best–together.