While Publius and company were publishing the Federalist Papers in newspapers of the day, others (some hiding behind pseudonyms) circulated a series of loosely-organized essays and speeches known to us as the Anti-Federalist Papers. This was long before “group-think” made its way into the vernacular. The list of men contributing to this exercise in partisanship included Mr. Mason, Patrick Henry, and George Clinton.  These names are probably not as well known to Americans today as Hamilton, Madison, or Jay, but they certainly acted out of patriotism and made a real difference for individual rights.

At issue was the fact that the Constitution sent to the states for ratification in 1787 did not include a declaration of individual rights. George Mason had a passion for this issue having created the original drafts for the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776, and he pushed for a similar statement in the new Constitution; to no avail.

He left the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia for his home in Fairfax, Virginia, and became a PARTISAN, which is basically defined as: “a fervent, sometimes militant supporter or proponent of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea.” He agitated, criticized, and worked tirelessly AGAINST the new Constitution’s ratification.

The Constitution was ratified, and Mason lost that battle, but he continued his fierce partisanship, until the U.S. Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791.  This very good thing happened BECAUSE of partisanship.  And though George Mason and George Washington would see their friendship suffer, that sometimes intensely personal dispute gave birth to the Bill of Rights, based largely on Mason’s work on the Virginia Declaration of Rights years before. 

The late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sam Rayburn, used to suggest that if two people agreed on everything you could be sure that only one was doing the thinking. 

Geraldine Ferraro was right - at least about the partisanship thing – it’s naïve to think that any man, or woman, can end partisanship in America.  And, in fact, why would anyone with a brain want that?

To twist the Rodney King-ism a bit I ask: “Can’t we all just NOT get along?”  It’s actually a very good thing that we have partisanship in America.  The real danger to our way of life does not come from political partisanship, but from those who desire a society where an all-knowing, all-seeing, all-encompassing state decides what is best for the rest of us.

Partisans of the nation, Divide! We have nothing to lose but our liberty.