Our brilliant founders

I would like to thank Coralie Koonce and Kenneth Weber for responding to my defense of the electoral college. I didn’t think my “diatribe” so much disparaged direct democracy as decried its efficacy in electing the president.

I agree with Ms. Koonce that direct democracy works better in smaller settings, and am quite familiar with the history of all the examples she cited. I wish I had a few moments to tell her of the tumultuous histories and sorry ends so many of them had, such as the treatment of Themistocles of Athens at the hands of his fellow citizens. I also agree many Americans have lived more than one place. I have lived in eight states and Canada, but brought my beautiful (and legal) Latina bride back to my hometown because I liked it here better. I don’t want Little Rock to become New York or Arkansas to become California.

Mr. Weber is right that the original electoral college proved terribly flawed, and as he rightly points out, the amendment of 1804 corrected the defect that led to a president and vice president of different parties and a tie caused by too much party discipline. If he thought I only “insinuated” that I was a traditional lover of the Constitution, I must have been unclear. It is our compact by which our government was formed, and was made to protect our liberties under a representative democratic republic. But Weber may be correct about it being outdated, as President John Adams said it was suited only for a moral and religious people. If he thinks doing away with it would be a good idea, he is free to advocate we do so. He need only get the support of three quarters of the states to make it so.

I, for my part, am glad to put forth my diatribes in favor of the brilliance of our founding fathers, a more moral, intelligent, and principled group than any political gathering in my lifetime.

KARL T. KIMBALL

Little Rock