Let’s keep voting as if democracy is in the balance
Since I was first taught about our government at home and in my 1950s- and ’60sera elementary school, I learned the responsibility of voting regularly in elections for representatives we believe or hope will best work to govern with one goal in mind — to bring America closer to its aspirational ideals, summed up in our daily mantra of “… one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Watching nightly news made it obvious that a lot of work was yet needed to to reach this goal, but with the two steps of majority rule forward and one backward, little by little, we seemed a little better each year. Individual rights were expanding, and despite too many tragic setbacks, we moved closer to justice for all. My one flaw here was assuming earned rights could not be rescinded. I was wrong.
Even though I attended Catholic school, I was not taught “liberty and justice only for Catholics,” or “… only for wealthy people, or only for whites, or Hispanics, or Protestants,” or for any one group. I believed that since the Civil War, “indivisible” and “for all” were written in stone, and that happily, this meshed perfectly with what Christianity and most world religions taught.
To my young mind, it was very clear: Freedom within a democracy meant my family and I could decide what was right for us, within the law, but not impeding, hurting or threatening to hurt anyone else, and also having the responsibility to look out for the safety and good of others. Freedom certainly did not give me the right to inflict my personal beliefs on anyone else.
Today, many years of life and learning later, I still believe this, and it’s how I determine who gets my votes: If they have demonstrated they will work to make the U.S. better and safer within parameters of the greater good, and will work to “even the playing field” of opportunities for everyone, they, usually Democrats, have my votes.
Democrats, like democracy, are far from perfect, and are also susceptible to the power and greed that corrupts all too often. But all political parties are guided by their platforms and a peer pressure of party expectations. Democrats are expected and compelled to enact laws that expand individual rights, privacy and equity to help everyone progress.
This contrasts with the philosophy of many Republicans running for office, especially those obviously influenced by former President Donald Trump, who proudly flaunts disdain of “law and order” for himself and those close to him. He continues to encourage disrespect and even violence against those who disagree with him. Republicans are clear they will continue to restrict people, behaviors, writings, thoughts and even the bodies of those who act or are different from their own desires. In Republican-led states, such laws have and will continue to be enacted. Being “united,” with all Americans sharing equal rights, is quickly slipping away.
History and especially the chaos of the past five to six years have proved democracy cannot be taken for granted and expected to flourish effortlessly — something voters kept in mind in the recent midterm elections, stopping the expected “red wave” that would have established Republican majorities. Until Republicans sever themselves from the ideology that led from Newt Gingrich to deification of Trump, I implore you to help elect Democratic majorities and hold them responsible for repairing this damage and guiding the United States forward.