Compromise

Around 248 years ago, our forefathers created a government of, for and with the citizen’s freedoms in mind. Fifty-five delegates representing thirteen colonies, all immigrants from authoritarian homelands met for four months in Philadelphia. 

Allowing citizens to freely worship, speak, assemble and have proper representation brought our fathers together for a consensual government. Differing opinions were expressed; heated arguments presented; and disagreements hotly debated. This was no easy task. What came to fruition was the world’s longest surviving written charter of government, our Preamble along with our Constitution.  

In their quest of forming a new government, the Constitutional Convention delegates bickered painstakingly and eventually came together to form a consolidated front birthing a new society. Rivaling the superpowers of England, Rome and Greece in their time, this new way of looking at a free civilization bucked past ideologies.

We made sure we were creating a government without the restrains of England. We used the failures of previous democracies, republics and representational civilizations to learn and build upon. We formed a people’s government. We became a new member of the world and soon arguably the most powerful country on Earth.

Establishing three equal branches to balance, to check, and to allow for fairness to all citizens was not an easy task because this form of governance had never been pursued before. A government which gives citizens freedoms instead of taking them away was an experiment in the unknown.

Giving citizens a society built on freedoms while also creating order and structure was one of the major hurdles. The process of freedoms and the responsibility of those freedoms has always been a fight for us. We love freedoms however we do not like to take responsibility for them.

Our forefathers searched their souls to find the perfect balance between freedoms and controls. When it came right down to it, they did something strong and secure however today it is considered weak and vulnerable. They put down their pride and egos. They collaborated to reach for common ground. They compromised. 

Constitutional compromise is not the same as modern compromise. Today, it is considered giving in, showing weakness and working across ideological divides. Contrary to modern thinking, constitutional compromise is not a sign of weakness or submission. It is the glue for which our county was created. It is the bond that 55 representatives coalesced around to promote a cohesive and informed society.

Today, when we compromise for the sake of compromising, both sides get less. When we compromise for the sake of creating the best possible solution, it is collaboration, the act of compromising with each side gaining in transparency, integrity and trust. 

We gained a government for, of and with the people in mind. We gained a more perfect union. And we gained 248 years of cohesion. So next time you hear someone say something disparaging about compromise, let them know that compromise is what this country was built on and maybe we can go back to it again. 

Farmer Banks Helfrich teaches sustainability on his seven-acre farm in north Clermont. Farm tours are every 2^nd Sunday. Call Banks for more information. (407) 616-9720