Founding Fathers Were Not Lawyers-By Harsha Sankar

Founding Fathers Were Not Lawyers-By Harsha Sankar- July 1999

Dear Citizen,

A myth that the Founding Fathers were lawyers needs to be disproved (attorney Frank W.Roger III’s May 15 guest essay, “Lawyers play a vital role in protecting citizens’ freedoms”).

Alexander Hamilton was a merchant and studied medicine.James Madison did postgraduate study in theology and considered going into the ministry. John Adams was a schoolmaster; Ben Franklin was a writer, printer, publisher and scientist. George Washington was an accomplished military leader.

Thomas Jefferson, a lawyer by education, had no direct role in framing or ratifying the Constitution. However, he stated: “The question will always be the same, and that is whether we will be ruled by self-government or by a small elite.” His fears are now realized. The law is whatever lawyers want it to be.

This nation was build on Judeo-Christian values. Jesus criticized lawyers severely for making the people’s laws their enterprise,for their hypocrisy by resorting to blackmail to advance justice, and for their subversions of simple truth and justice, and for passing judgment on work they never did.

Western civilization progressed when freedom, democracy, and personal responsibility reigned free. It regressed when aristocracy dominated.

Harsha Sankar

908 Valley Ridge Road

Covington,Virginia 24426