I strongly believe that the Founding Fathers of our country got

Hear me, O children of tomorrow, for the words of Dean Ornish echo the ancient wisdom of men who built nations and raised banners in the winds of freedom. He proclaims, “I strongly believe that the Founding Fathers of our country got it right: power corrupts, and any time you have too much power concentrated in one place, it tends to get abused, so checks and balances are always needed.” In these words lies both warning and guidance, a fire to awaken the slumbering spirit. For in the ages past, and in the ages yet to come, the truth remains unchanging: unchecked power is the serpent that coils around the hearts of men, whispering deceit and stirring tyranny.

The ancients themselves knew this lesson. The Romans, mighty in conquest, rose from the ashes of kings to form their republic. They understood that one man alone, adorned with too much authority, would fall prey to pride, and pride would devour the common good. Thus, they gave birth to the Senate, the Consuls, the Tribunes—each a counterweight to the other. Yet even Rome, in her glory, fell when ambition shattered this sacred balance, and Caesar’s crown became the symbol of one man’s will above the people. The empire endured, but the republic—the heartbeat of liberty—died. So let it be remembered: when power gathers too heavily in a single hand, freedom trembles.

Consider, too, the Founding Fathers themselves, who in their toil and blood sought to carve out a land where the voice of one would never silence the many. They feared the monarch’s chain, for they had borne its weight across the sea. Thus, they birthed a system of checks and balances, wherein no ruler, no council, no assembly could trample the rights of the people unchallenged. They enshrined the division of power, that justice might stand upright, that liberty might breathe freely, and that corruption might find no easy throne. Their wisdom was not born of comfort, but of struggle, of exile, and of the fire of revolution.

Mark well the story of Richard Nixon, a leader of the modern age, who in the shadows sought to twist the might of his office for his own preservation. It was the separation of powers—the legislature, the courts, and the press—that drew back the veil and held him to account. Without such balances, his deceit might have grown into tyranny. But the system endured, and the people learned once more that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. So too in our own days, and in the days of our children, the same danger will return cloaked in new forms.

Therefore, O seekers of truth, let the lesson be carved into the tablets of your heart: power corrupts, and without restraint it becomes the destroyer of justice and the oppressor of men. No man, no leader, no nation is immune to this poison. Only the bonds of accountability, the voices of the many, and the courage to question authority can preserve the sacred flame of freedom. For when we grow complacent, when we trust too blindly, the serpent of corruption slithers silently until it is too late.

What then must you do in your own life, you who walk not among thrones but among daily labors? Practice the same wisdom. Do not give unchecked power to your leaders, your employers, even your own desires. Demand transparency. Seek fairness. Ask questions, even when silence would be easier. Create in your homes, your communities, your work, small systems of balance, so that no one voice drowns the others. For tyranny is not born only in palaces—it begins in households, in offices, in friendships, wherever domination replaces harmony.

Be strong, then, in vigilance. Be humble, remembering that even your own heart can be corrupted when too much power is yours. Invite counsel, welcome critique, and share decision-making, for this is the way of wisdom. Guard always against the intoxication of unchecked authority, whether it be political, personal, or spiritual. Thus shall you live not as a servant of pride, but as a steward of justice.

And finally, let your life be a living torch for those who come after you. Speak often of checks and balances, not as cold law but as living truth. Teach your children that freedom is not given once, but earned again and again through watchfulness. In this way shall the wisdom of Ornish, of the Founders, and of all who came before, continue to echo across the generations, protecting the fragile yet eternal flame of liberty.