Democracy Anyone!

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Unless you've been in a coma for the past four years or even the last thirty-days, you should be well aware of the historic, concerning, and contentious nature of the election of the next President of the United States.

While the camps of both the Democratic and Republican candidates have given Americans a menu of items that should be viewed, studied, or considered, have they effectively and honestly made their case to be the next party to manage or direct America's future going forward?

Which party candidates have put the best interests of preserving a Free, Just, Democracy as its primary focus?

Which party candidates have demonstrated a will and desire to lift up and help all people?

What is a Democracy?

While some would have you believe that certain types or parts of History should be censored, eliminated, or rewritten, the one thing we cannot run from, no matter how we try, is America's love -hate relationship with one of the most important founding ideals of our republic. - "Democracy"

"We The People" have voted for, fought for, protested for, legislated for, died for, lived for, went to jail for, sacrificed for, been attacked for, worked for, prayed for, and hoped for, a government and country that sees all as equal parts of a tremendous puzzle held together by a unifying belief that America is best when we all see each other as Americans with rights and privileges founded in our duties and responsibilities to maintain a free and true Democracy.

Democracy is an ongoing process born of the idea that "We The People" are responsible for the selection of representatives that support the Democracy as well as the life and legacy of America and Americans. This is the purest and most desirable form of a true Democracy.

What happens to honoring the democratic process or our Democracy when one disagrees with the results?

"We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution"

While these words of Abraham Lincoln are noble representations of what a true Democracy should be, his own initial convictions around the idea of slavery during his time, was more about a selective Democracy for whites only.

Lincoln was not originally concerned with giving slaves equal citizenship or even freeing all slaves. His main concern was with preserving the Union by offering to ship free blacks back to Africa and allowing the South to hold on to their institution of Slavery.

These were the original considerations of The Emancipation Proclamation that many media and history books rarely discuss. The early version of Lincoln, like some Americans today, only saw the rights and privileges to being an American belonging to a certain few.

Fast forward to January 6th, 2021, when the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. was attacked by a mob of supporters of former President Donald Trump. Because President Trump refused to accept his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, he falsely fanned the flames of election fraud which he claimed denied him victory.

Did Lincoln's extolling the responsibility of the People not to let others overthrow the Constitution, strangely foreshadow the attack on our Democracy on January 6th, 2021?

America's Problem

The problem of race relations in America will always be a defining point that drives our politics and larger society. It will always be used to divide us and keep those in power and control that benefit from these divisions.

Even if there were no policy differences or clear difference in the abilities, intellect, and competence of each candidate, the race of the candidates would still be used by many as the only criteria they needed to make their presidential selection.

How does True Democracy Survive?

If we are to endure as a Democracy, one must understand that selfishness and altruism must exist simultaneously and be significantly balanced. We as citizens must be free to selfishly vote and advocate for our own individual best interests, while at the same time, be altruistic by being just as concerned about the best interests of all others.

This is a difficult and contentious path, that separates "American Democracy" from dictatorships and other authoritarian governments around the world. This is also a path that goes against the hate and division rhetoric of those who want to serve only themselves while breeding anger and fear among the populous.

Democracy is a process driven by acts of a love, care, and understanding for all, not only demonstrated by rhetoric, but evidenced in the everyday actions and habits of the government and the people that says we are all free, protected, and respected participants in this grand experiment of Democracy called America.

We cannot turn against each other but to each other for support and guidance. We must not fall for the tactics of those who want to divide us, but we must send a message on election day so loud and clear that says we as a country have not come this far to turn back now!!!

Freedom and Democracy are not free, they must be fought for everyday!

Hope you found my article thought provoking and useful. You can subscribe to my newsletter "Building Better Behaviors" by going to my profile page and clicking on "Building Better Behaviors" Thank you.