Story of the Guelphs and Ghibellines

Devlin Bronte Rachele

Bedford, Pennsylvania

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Dear Evan,

Story of the Guelphs and the Ghibellines.

As I have mentioned before Our Government has an amazing ability to evolve and release unimaginable potential in the process. I mentioned before that a government which has a strongman, a dictator, a monarchy, or some form of an elite running it is hobbled compared to the ability of our government. These types of governments are saddled with a leader who makes decisions and chances are the decisions are based on only how the leader understands the issue. This is not to say that the leader is not mentally capable but chances are if the leader is made aware of a situation it is based on information which has been filtered by the leader’s staff and only if the staff decided to allow the leader to become aware of the situation and how the leader is to become aware of the situation. So basically the leader makes a decision based on the information and the situation of which the staff lets the leader become aware. Still the decision will be made on how the leader understands it, based on what the leader gets for information, how the leader views it. Most of all the leader will make a decision on what the leader believes is best for the leader. Chances are the leader’s options in making this decision are limited to what the leader understands is best for the survival and continuance of their leadership.

Our Founding Fathers understood the frustration of having to be dependent on such a one sided leadership. They knew from their own experience the struggle of getting their views heard and acted on in a way which would be beneficial. They have been there when something which was important to them depended on an individual which saw no interest in it. So, they decided to come up with a better idea. After some failed attempts in 1789 they launched the Constitution which was an attempt to create a government which answered all the issues they saw with a leader based government. They drew from their experiences in the Continental Congress in their state assemblies. These weren’t places where one person said, “We are going to do this. The rest of you make it happen.” No, these were places where people from different backgrounds assembled to discuss issues their respective areas were experiencing and bouncing around ideas to find solutions. They understood that the goal of any argument or discussion should be progress. If one side imposes its will it is a lost for all. Though they had managed to do this with the Continental Congress, Various Assemblies, and Constitutional Convention could it be done on a national level? They decided to try.

They drew up a plan for a government which was controlled by three distinctive parts. These were the Judicial Branch which comprised of the Supreme Court, a panel of judges, the Executive Branch in which the President lurks, and for a centerpiece, we find the Legislative Branch which is composed of our Congress which is a body of the representatives of each area of the country. Each of these branches has its powers and responsibilities and these powers and responsibilities include keeping an eye on the other branches and keeping those branches in line. For example: let’s say the president wishes to start a new program. The president would have to go through Congress to okay the money for the program and the Supreme Court can weigh in on if the program is Constitutional or not. A monopoly on power does not exist in our government as it did and still does in others.

But let’s take a closer look at what I called the centerpiece, the Legislative Branch. This is what I like to think of as the nerve center of our government. You have a lower house of Representatives which is used to give as equal representation of the people of various locations as possible. It is an honest attempt to give people an equal opportunity to be heard in Washington. Representative numbers are based on the population of their respective states. However 435 has been fixed as the number of representatives who can actually vote although there are more members in the House of Representatives but these representatives are allow to bring up issues and debate but are not allowed to vote.

Since a State such as California has far more people and representatives (53) compared to a State such as Wyoming which only has 1 California has far more voting power than Wyoming. To remedy this, the Constitutional Convention created a Senate which gives each State two Senators. Since the Senate must approve bills passed by the House of Representatives and since each State has the same amount of Senators it is an attempt to fix the fact that California has 53 Representatives while Wyoming has only 1. It gives Wyoming a chance to stand up to something which might be great for Californians but detrimental to the people of Wyoming.

This set up is important in that we have a situation where it was intentional that issues couldn’t be suppressed or be imposed. It was clearly an attempt to create a forum where ideas could be brought up debated and bounced around. It is a chance for the minority to be heard. It is a chance to point out weaknesses in a possible solution and arriving at a far better one. It is a chance to bring issues to light, to inform, learn, work things out and grow. Just imagine it. We have a body of 535 minds filled with viewpoints, experiences, and beliefs looking at the same issue in the two chambers of Congress. We have a possibility of 535 different ways of looking at the issue and just as many possible solutions to the issue. It is a chance for our nation to learn and grow and evolve. It is a chance to find the best possible solution at the time with the ability to improve upon it as well.

On top of this we have the individual States with their respective assemblies. There is what is known as State’s rights as well which means that each State is similar to an autonomous state in that each State has the right to exist and be heard and can challenge Federal demands and protect itself from what it deems wrong for the State. It would be ridiculous to treat Alaska and Hawai’i the exact same in all areas. But here again are 50 individual entities with their own State Houses and Assemblies. It is a chance for the different parts of the State to come together and workout issues which face the entire State and seek possible solutions and improve upon them. It was obvious that our system was designed to be able to truly listen to and workout issues and find real solutions that could benefit all. More I think of it the more I am impressed with the potential that could be reached if we were allowed.

Enter Liz Cheney and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

As you are well aware I am neither a fan of the Republican Party nor of many of their ideas on how to reach their ideals. I am definitely not a fan of Elizabeth Lynne Cheney or of Marjorie Taylor Greene. But I think what has happened to them is a mortal sin against our nation. What has happened to them in the recent months is part of the same mechanism which is keeping America down and away from the possibilities of reaching unlimited potential.

Elizabeth Lynne Cheney (1966-Present) commonly known as Liz Cheney is the eldest daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney is a member of the House of Representative in the United States’ Congress. She is the Representative of Wyoming’s At Large Congressional District meaning she is Wyoming’s only Representative in the House. She is also like her father, a Republican. She had also been attacked recently by the Republican Party for voting to impeach Donald Trump (1946-Present) for inciting the January 6th riot in which a large number of Trump supporters who had been at the nearby Trump Rally went to the Capitol. In her own words Liz Cheney said the following:

“The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, this would have happened without the President. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.”

Congressional Republicans attempted to remove Liz Cheney from the leadership positions she held for voting to impeach Donald Trump and for statements such as this one. Remember she was there when the attack had occurred. She had to seek safety. She was participating in a process which makes our nation what it is. The voters had spoken and despite massive attempts by Donald Trump to overthrow the process, the voice of the voters Trump had lost and Congress was in the process of verifying the Electoral Votes. Instead of accepting the results, Trump launched a multitude of legal maneuvers in only the States in which he had loss. Funny, complaints of widespread election fraud but the only places he demanded review and investigation was only in the states he had lost.

Looking at Marjorie Taylor Greene (1974-Present) we see she is serving as a Representative for Georgia’s 14th District which includes several counties in the northwest corner of the state. She does support Donald Trump and was one of the vocal champions of his claim of voter fraud costing him the election which he claims was a landslide victory but the Republican Party has come down hard on her as well for many of the conspiracy theories she supports. She has also expressed the desire to execute prominent Democrats—but only after being found guilty through due process of treason. She filed an article of impeachment for Joseph Biden. She has been described as a member of QANON, a group which believes the world is run by a Cabal of Satan Worshipping, cannibalistic pedophiles and sees itself as the answer to liberate the world from this group of evil overlords.

Now when it comes down to it these two do not work for the Republican Party. These two are suppose to be working for their respected constituency. If they displease their constituents then they will be replaced in the next election. However, the majority of the voters from their respective districts made their choices and seem to be standing by them. But the Party believes they should under control of the Party. You are not to disagree with the Party. This sounds a lot like something out of “Nineteen Eighty-Four.” By all means we need to remove or censure them if they are committing acts of treason, committing gross negligence, or are betraying the trust of their constituents. Greene especially has been a handful but she is still supported by her constituents and if they choose to remove her then they will. As far as I know she hasn’t done anything illegal or unconstitutional.

But let’s not get sidetracked by the nitty-gritty. The real problem here is their constituents are being silenced. Cheney and Greene have been told to toe the Party Line, to go along with the agenda and the plans of the Party. Not only that, but now the Democrats are trying to force Greene out the House of Representatives. Again, she does not work for the Democrats and she hasn’t done anything illegal. If her constituents find that she doesn’t represent their ideals then they will let her know. She was elected to represent her constituents and not the wills of the Parties. So again if the constituents still desire Greene to represent them then the Democrats are affectively silencing their voices in the House.

This is the problem. Instead of having 50 States with their respective State Assemblies and local governments, instead of having 535 minds of Congress bringing what they have to the table to workout our nation’s issues they have all been silenced and streamlined to fall behind the agenda of either Party. By doing this a Party has only to gain the most members in the various assemblies to oppress ideas they are against and impose those they want with no discussion. Then when the opposing Party wins the majority it is just a round of pushing their agenda through while suppressing that of their rival. Instead of cooperation we have competition and it is just back and forth as we are robbed of potential being limited to just two agendas.

Instead of 535 minds coming together pointing out weaknesses and creating strengths we have two sides pushing back and forth. Instead of having a forum for enlightened minds to come together with the intent of working out ideas for the benefit of the nation we have to competing gangs forcing their own greedy agendas on us all.

It is funny in a way. Here you have a nation totally scared of a dictatorship for various and obvious reasons but we have two gangs creating just that situation.

Talk to you later.