James Madison crafted the Bill of Rights. He talked about "tyranny of the majority." I'd like to hear his thoughts about today's political tyrannies in Washington and Utah . . . and about the erosion of freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. I wonder what Madison and Washington would say about the war in Iraq. Both warned against foolish wars.

How about getting Founding Father Ben Franklin, the scientist-politician, together with great-granddad Ben Franklin Stoddard, the farmer-turned-goldminer-turned-explorer? They'd have stories to tell — some to make me laugh, others to make my jaw drop. What would scientist Ben think of the nation's declining commitment to science and technology? And granddad Stoddard was uneducated. His generation sacrificed a great deal to make sure their children had opportunities for education. What does he think about our unwillingness to make similar sacrifices today?

Brigham Young would want to drive around the state he colonized. He'd love the ease of travel. I'd like to hear his opinion about the social barriers we have created — urban versus rural, east side versus west side, Mormon versus non-Mormon, Caucasian versus "them." He believed in education and information — started a newspaper and Utah's first university. I'd ask him what he thinks about Utah's rising high school dropout rate, about our falling college participation rate, and about our below average performance on almost every measure of cultural commitment to education.

It would be great to learn by talking with the great men and women who came before us. Since that's impossible, perhaps we should honor them this month by learning from what they did and said.

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G. Donald Gale is president of Words, Words, Words, Inc. He was formerly editorial director at KSL. He is a product of Utah public schools, the University of Utah, and the school of printed words. E-mail: www.dongale@words3.com