Learning How to Fly

Our first American political parties, the Federalists and the Antifederialists, were much bigger than Pro-Constitution and Anti-Constitution. The cry for Liberty from the revolutionaries was a cry for a voice in the political process. A much better description would be the “Pro-Republic” party under the Federalists and the “Pro-Direct Democracy” party under the Antifederalists. Historically even the names of our political parties had meanings that we seldom consider today in that the “Democrats” were those in favor of a directly democratic form of government or a Democracy and the “Republicans” were those in favor of a republican form of government or a Republic. Often the advocates of the Republic will site James Madison’s quotes against Direct Democracy in favor of a Republican form of government, but they rarely if ever give a voice to Thomas Jefferson’s replies to those statements. The primary advantage the Federalists had was they knew how a Republic functioned practically and efficiently, where as the Anti-federalists were attempting to create a whole new form of government. Jefferson went to great lengths to create a foundational model for a directly democratic form of government. It is a form of American Democracy that is rarely, if ever, viewed or understood.  American Direct Democracy, the other US Constitutional model, has never really been given a chance to be heard. With over 16 years of research the book, Learning How to Fly, is based on Jefferson’s model of American Direct Democracy in which practical and common sense solutions to issues within a Directly Democratic style of Government can be overcome.  I believe it is important to understand that if you only know America’s present constitution you only know half of the reasons why the revolutionary war was fought. Understand the cry for Liberty in a very real sense is the same today in our present republic, where many feel they are not represented by their Government, as it was so long ago. 

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"Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question. ...Every man, and every body of men on earth, possesses the right of self-government. ...The right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to, and formidable to tyrants only. ...It is the people, to whom all authority belongs. ...The hand of the people has proved that government to be the strongest of which every man feels himself a part."