Twenty-five may seem young to serve in Congress, but as George Washington was surveying Virginia at age 15, Phillis Wheatley, one of America’s earliest female poets began to commentate on political events at age 14, John Quincy Adams served Russian Secretary Francis Dana at age 14, and Thomas Jefferson’s first political goal in serving the Virginia House at age 25 was to end slavery… America has a rich heritage of training our children well and launching them into civil and political service.
Concerning the requirement that voters be citizens for seven years before voting, Cleon Skousen observes that at the Constitutional Convention it was agreed that, “an immigrant should be exposed to American institutions and American values a little longer before being allowed to make decisions for the people in Congress.” (1)
George Mason warned that “It might happen that a rich foreign nation… might send over her tools, who might bribe their way into the legislature for insidious purposes.”(2)
He argued strongly for Congress to know and sympathize with every part of the community; and ought therefore to be taken not only from different parts of the whole republic, but also from different districts of the larger members of it… He urged that “the representatives should sympathize with their constituents; should think as they think, and feel as they feel; and that for these purposes should even live among them.”(3)
Father, we pray for You to anoint us to steward our citizenship responsibly once again. Will You give us representatives that do sympathize with us, we the People, that think as we think and feel as we feel and most importantly Lord, who read Your Word to fear and obey You, in Jesus’ Mighty, Holy Name we pray, Amen.
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(1) Cleon Skousen, Making of America, NCCS (USA, April 2009 printing), p. 271
(2) George Mason, Making of America, NCCS (USA, April 2009 printing), p. 271
(3) Ibid., p. 272
I have learned many of these quotes from The Making of America by Cleon Skousen. You may purchase it here.
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“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 NIV
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