CHANGING WORLD TODAY: ‘Window’ of Democracy

Democracies?do not fail people, people?fail?democracies.

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Democracy can be like a window, letting you see the harsh elements outside while at the same time protecting you on the inside, from those same harsh elements. Like a window, a democracy is strong but at the same time fragile.

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And sometimes like a window, it can become dirty, and it is necessary for it to be cleaned. But that does not necessarily mean replacing it with something else other than a window. Yes, a wall can be stronger than a window, but it will not let you see the dangers or opportunities on the other side. But, more importantly, it will not let the light in.

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Once broken it will never be the same. When it is broken, the interior that it protects can be forever changed or damaged by the elements. The elements coming from outside will forever change or damage the interior. What this ‘window’ protects can sometimes be lost forever or at minimum, irrevocably changed.?

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Sometimes the “Window of Democracy” is so special that it cannot be replaced. And, if only by chance and hard work it is replaced, it will not come back easily. Replacement will be at great time and cost. If by luck and hard work it is replaced, what replaces it will never be the same as it once was.

If the 'window' is repaired, again it cannot be done easily. But, again, everything in the interior has changed, and sometimes not necessarily for the better. The damage to the interior has been done from the exposure of those outside elements. It will never be the same.

Even if the “Window of Democracy,” is replaced or repaired with something similar, its new form will just be an imitation of its former self, the original becoming lost forever. And, once again, the interior is again irrevocably changed from the initial damage of the outside elements, and more importantly the changing of the ‘light.’

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Remember, it is much easier to break a ‘window’ than to repair or replace it. Once broken, like a window or a democracy, once trust in it is lost, trust in it is not always able to be earned back by those that witnessed it breaking or, more importantly, by those that the breaking affected. Trust in the process of the ‘window’ cannot be easily earned back.?Once trust is lost sometimes, it is not always able to be earned back.

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The ‘Window’ of Democracy must be transparent.?We must not forget that a democracy is also a ‘window’ into the true feelings and thoughts of a society. When the true thoughts and feelings of others are ignored or suppressed, results or consequences (slight or large) will eventually follow. In order to truly know the opinions of the population and to protect the future, the ‘window’ cannot be tinted. The emotions of people, and especially the group, can often overshadow common sense and thinking ahead.

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Sometimes there can be confusion. Remember, agreeing or disagreeing with the majority viewpoint is different from trust or mistrust in the democratic process. Agreeing or disagreeing with what can be seen through the ‘window’ is different from approving or disapproving of the ‘window’ itself. We must not allow mistrust in the ‘window.’ Even if the trust in the democratic process is lost, within your eyes or in the eyes of others, valid or not, democracy is at risk. We must protect the ‘window,’ especially when we disagree with what we see. It is much easier to see dangers and opportunities for the present and future through a window, than a wall or something worse.

And if it is believed by some that democracy has failed, and it is?replaced with something else, the?‘Window of Democracy’ still has been removed. When the window is removed and replaced with that which you cannot see through, there is a significant risk to dangers and again, that access to the ‘light’ can be lost forever.

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Some may believe that a democracy is a false democracy or has been corrupted. Sometimes, a democracy is replaced with something that is obviously not a democracy. Sometimes, a democracy is replaced with something that fulfills the short-term, the emotion, feelings, or circumstances of the times. When these things happen, a democracy can be truly lost. It can be more difficult to find again because it was not taken but given away. A window, like a democracy, is much easier to lose than get back.

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?????????? If our “Window of Democracy” is lost, my hope is that future generations will forgive us for failing them. But I must continue to fight and contribute to protecting the “Window of Democracy,” if not for future generations but for my own conscience. When future generations look back on us, let them know how precious the ‘Window’ of Democracy truly is.

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-????????Jeremy P. Boggess ?2024