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Steve_A's avatar

What would the founding fathers do if they were here?

Asked by Steve_A (5130points) March 3rd, 2010

If they had come to a meeting about how things are being run and set-up right now, current laws, issues, etc…..what would they do or say?

Could they still be relevant in today’s society?

Do think they could still get the core ideals or beliefs that seems to be gone in many ways?

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22 Answers

Dr_Dredd's avatar

I think they would be shocked at how some of their ideas were being interpreted.

Steve_A's avatar

@Dr_Dredd Maybe they would have to better describe the current constitution?

lucillelucillelucille's avatar

They’d call a Constitutional Convention.

rangerr's avatar

They’d just facepalm and call a meeting.

PacificRimjob's avatar

They would weep watching everything they risked so much for lost in a slide into socialism.

The irony might just kill them.

I’d give them all iPhones to console them.

buck19delta's avatar

the lack of individualism, and reliance on the government,for everything, and the size and reach of government, would give them all strokes. much less the massive debt the country is in…

lilikoi's avatar

They’d succumb to massive culture shock.

PacificRimjob's avatar

Well said Buck.

PacificRimjob's avatar

Andrew Jackson would be hot to kick some blue dog ass.

Dr_Dredd's avatar

@Steve_A Good! They should try to describe it better.

buck19delta's avatar

the changes in our culture would surprise them, but they were pretty intelligent guys, they could deal with changing cultural ideas., well except for the premise that the government is the savior of the people, and does not serve the people as they envisioned….....the separation from the government they made, to the government we now have however, would be intolerable to them.

buck19delta's avatar

@ dr_dredd

i agree….. we could use a little more description of EXACTLY what they meant in a few areas. most people have a very good idea of what they meant, unfortunately its not worded in exact lawyer speak… so lots of people see what they want to see, instead of what it actually says.

Your_Majesty's avatar

Each country has different founding father. And possibly it could be more than one founding fathers. It depends on their ideology. I think if they’re here then they’ll out of date right away since there’s no contemporary with nowadays rules.

TehRoflMobile's avatar

They would be in awe and greatly saddened by our situation. They would try to stop what is going on, but they wouldn’t be able to do anything. No one can. We are run by corporations, which were created by humans, but do not seem to be run by humans.

Captain_Fantasy's avatar

They probably bang hookers like our current politicians do.

Arisztid's avatar

I think they would be sorely disappointed in the direction this nation has taken, how the foundation they laid has been interpreted. However, I think they would be pleased that the nation they founded is still going. I think that they would have been pleased that it has been successful but not pleased in how it got there.

This nation was formed to escape oppression and to allow individuality, including individuality of religion. My interpretation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence is that individuality was emphasized rather than conformity. Conform, yes, if you agree with what you are conforming to. I took the Declaration of Independence to include the right to dissent if things are not going well, almost the responsibility of the person who believes this to dissent.

However, if you do not go with the flow in this country, you face hell.

In today’s political climate, they would not make it because their ideas would be considered too radical and “anti American.”

I have a lot of respect for the Founding Fathers and no respect for politicians. Every now and then I indulge in a bit of personal fantasy of a meeting with the Founding Fathers and various politicians, including Obama. In my fantasy the Founding Fathers are, shall we say, not happy with the politicians.

talljasperman's avatar

Eat peoples brains…They would be zombies wouldn’t they?

Arisztid's avatar

@talljasperman Thankyou for my first internet based in real life laugh out loud for today. Good one!

@Doctor_D You are very right. I have a question, however: how many nations refer to their Founding Fathers with those very words? There might be and I am just curious.

buck19delta's avatar

@ doctor_d

the laws set forth hundreds of years ago, are just as current now, as they were then. the basic foundation does not change, no matter how much our people change.

hiphiphopflipflapflop's avatar

Franklin would be giddy at the scope of expansion in human knowledge.

“I should prefer to an ordinary death, being immersed with a few friends in a cask of Madeira, until that time, then to be recalled to life by the solar warmth of my dear country! But in all probability, we live in a century too little advanced, and too near the infancy of science, to see such an art brought in our time to its perfection.”

mattbrowne's avatar

They would instruct the Republicans to act in a constructive instead of a destructive way.

buck19delta's avatar

there is no difference between republicans, and democrats. both sides are basically self serving, selfish, only worried about being reelected, worthless and over compensated, basically not caring what the average american cares anymore.

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