Democracy
Of the people, by the people, for the people: all the people. Democracy is what we do. It’s not just a form of government — it’s a way of living together, solving problems together, joining together to help the community. No matter our differences, we find ways to make our area better, together, for everyone. It’s what we do.
It’s also a Christian way of life — accepting and helping others as shown and commanded by Jesus: love thy neighbor, help the sick, shelter the homeless, etc. It’s what we do.
In the United States, we care for one another– and our locally elected officials created programs to better provide support for those who need it — Veterans support, healthcare, help for the homeless, etc. We the people ask our government to do this– because it represents us– we the people say take care of one another. We expect the of each other and our government to “promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”
We learn from one another– foods, dances, music, caring, etc. We welcome all. We promote the general welfare for all of us. We saw inequities and we created ways for everyone to have access to opportunities. People challenged with disabilities. People without resources. We weren’t perfect, but we tried– “in order to form a more perfect union.” And it started with our locally elected officials we sent to Washington, DC as our voice.
Now those voices are silenced by the eliminating and gutting of the services on which people depend. And, by the gutting and canceling, the power of our locally elected officials is gone– our voices through them are gone.
Who’s in charge now? Not us. And what do they want? Not a democracy. Not diversity. Not equity. Not inclusion. Only certain people will be rewarded. Our voices are lost. We are no longer free.
And so I created this sign to show more of what stand for [see Values of a Democracy]– of what we do as citizens of a democracy, as people in a democracy:
Democracy is What We Do:
- Truth over silence
- Inclusion over suspicion
- Cooperation over control
Note: This is a revised version of the segment in Good Idea.
A Good Read
Anthropologist James Greenberg wrote an essay on this idea of the culture we’ve been building since 1776, imperfect as it is and was — we grew as a nation to understand that lifting people up helps us all. This week’s poster includes phrases from his essay.
Excerpts:
“Democracy is more than a form of government. It is a culture, a way of life, a daily ethic of pluralism. It rests on habits of cooperation, shared norms of dignity, and a belief that differences can coexist without domination. The authoritarian project threatens not only our institutions, but the values and practices that sustain democratic life.”
“Democracy isn’t just what we vote for. It’s what we do. Every time we choose inclusion over suspicion, cooperation over control, or truth over silence—we make it real again.”
“What’s at stake is not just a system of government—it’s the soul of civic life itself. And we don’t recover that by waiting. We recover it by doing.”James Greenberg, The Authoritarian Playbook: and the Fight for America’s Democratic Soul–Democracy is not just a system of government—it’s a culture, a set of shared values, Trump is dismantling not only our institutions, but the soul of American civic life. On Facebook; On Substack
How do we respond? We respond by doing. First we started walking. What will we also do? In the same article, Greenberg suggests that, “We answer not just with protest, but with presence. Not just with resistance, but with reconstruction.” So we gather and walk in public in public spaces to maintain a civic space to express ourselves. And we continue to build spaces and help our community to maintain the culture of shared values and pluralism.
Remember: You are not alone! Join those with whom you share these values.
“We have been too quiet for too long. There comes a time when you have to say something. You have to make a little noise. You have to move your feet. This is the time.”
~John Lewis ~At a 2016 House sit-in
I wonder, if I draw a line... 