The founders were aware of demagogues

Webster’s defines “demagogue” as a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and falsehoods and promises in order to gain power. At our founding, our leaders tried to build Constitutional and electoral procedures to guard against the rise of a demagogue who could corrupt the new republic.

Alexander Hamilton wrote a letter to George Washington in 1792 outlining his thoughts. “The only path to a subversion of the republican system of the Country is, by flattering the prejudices of the people, and exciting their jealousies and apprehensions, to throw affairs into confusion, and bring civil commotion. When a man unprincipled in private life, desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper, is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity, it may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may ride the storm and direct the whirlwind.”

Thomas Jefferson wrote to James Madison in 1787, even before George Washington was elected our first president, “If, once elected, and at second or third elections outvoted by one or two votes (electoral college votes), he will pretend false votes, foul play, hold possession of the reins of government, be supported by the States voting for him.”

Our founding fathers were well aware of dangers facing this new republic, both from outside powers and, as importantly, from internal forces driven by a need for power. Their thoughts and warnings are a clear description of today’s reality.

Craig Young

Grantham

Stop showing
animals at work

Mostly, I’ve given up on the Valley News ceasing their endless promotion of animal cruelty. Letters to the editor and a meeting with the editor seem to have made no difference. I was told this is what readers want. Seriously? Were VN subscribers to learn about the underlying cruelty in so many of your articles, recipes and photos — suffering, rape, kidnapping and murder of animals in the entertainment, and food industries, etc. — many more would demand articles and images that move humanity forward, showing compassion for farmed and wild animals and pets.

The paper of July 2, with the front-page photograph of a yelling man with a whip, “urging” oxen to drag over 4 tons in a contest at the Old Timers Fair is a case in point. Why the whip? Why force animals to drag extreme weight in the heat when no need exists to do so? These cattle had no choice in the matter. What do they get out of it? Nothing! But hey, why care?

We must care, because harming animals, when in today’s world we don’t need to eat and use them to serve our purposes, hardens our hearts, making us more capable of harm. This is why the human race is going to hell — all caused by us, our bodies filled with, dressed in, entertained by the suffering and deaths of creatures. The connection between slaughter in Palestine and Sudan, for example, is: if you can do it to animals, you can and will harm humans.

As author and Holocaust survivor Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote: “In their behavior towards creatures, all men are Nazis. The smugness with which man can do with other species as he pleases exemplifies the most extreme racist theories.” And Mahatma Ghandi wrote: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

Why is the VN not trying to do better by its readers so we can do better in the world — for the animals? For us?

Margaret Hurley

Claremont