Letter: Constitution is not to blame for gridlock

A recent Susan Estrich column in the Daily blamed the U.S. Constitution for the Senate's failure at that point to pass global warming legislation. The author, Estrich, goes on to mention that the Founders intentionally wrote obstacles into the founding document seeming "to paralyze democracy." Ms. Estrich is absolutely correct about obstacles being needed between and within the branches of government and obstacles also being needed between the people and their government for the republic to hopefully survive into the future.

Maybe the original blame for such constitutional procedures more rightfully belongs with the majority rule of democracy trying to avoid the original intent of the republic. Democracy was to remain among the people and the direct election of the U.S. House members while the republic was needed to assure the separation of power with the indirect election of the U.S. Senate and the president.

Thus, the gift of the U.S. Constitution to "We the People" was that government would allow us to solve our problems and the more proper solutions would come from voluntary cooperation among each other without government force being used.

A just government, as mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, should never replace our own efforts to correct whatever problems our society endures. In other words, running to the government to solve every problem was never what the Founders envisioned for us. They wanted each of us to be responsible for ourselves and to care for each other in a more perfect society.

David Jahntz

Geneva