Our form of federal governance, while discussed and challenged over our Republic’s history, has ruptured for the first time in our history.

The rule of law and civil rights are ignored. Corruption is flaunted. The treasure of America is being raided and spent without Congressional oversight. The Congress is deadlocked and nonfunctional.

Dark money has bored into the election system, causing candidates to find dubious sources of funding to win a race. Citizen’s United is understood to be one of the most consequential Supreme Court rulings. It has fueled corruption of the election system. Citizens no longer can discover who is funding a candidate, and the rich and powerful gain greater influence over the people’s vote. Outside influence over elections is ever apparent. This dilutes a citizen’s key role as guardians of the democracy. Yes, we are the most powerful guardrail – IF we step into that role AND the rule of law is observed.

But how do we learn to be a citizen?

I can only use my own experience to describe how I learned about my government and the roles citizens can play to fulfill their obligations. Yes, we are obliged to engage in a democracy, a form of governance of the people, by the people, and for the people.

First, over the years of my childhood my parents led discussions at the dinner table about history and, at times of elections, why they voted for a candidate. Often, my mother and father diverged on candidates which was fun with spirited debates. This was how my sisters and I realized how dynamic a democracy should be. But there were rules to contain it, and there was a code of respectful behavior.

In public school, these ideals were taught as well as an understanding of the form of government we inherited and how it is set up and functions. Civics education was integrated into our curriculum. Debate clubs offered students a chance to hone their skills.

Public institutions further reminded us about democratic behavior. Churches, clubs, libraries, museums, and public leaders across many disciplines. Free speech, moral imperatives of how we treat each other, how we care for each other were reinforced.

My parents and grandparents also supported our education with expectations we would apply ourselves to learn a body of facts and skills that prepared us to go out in the world. Then, there were generally accepted truths and facts about democratic governance and the expectation we were all equal under the law. Three TV channels – CBS, ABC, and NBC reported based on shared facts… more or less. Diversity of thought and opinion were available in numerous print magazines and journals. Local news was richly present.

My parent’s love of reading was contagious. Biographies, literature, poetry and books about culture, historical figures across the world were all informally brought to us as we read together or listened to discussions. I recall my father reading Sherlock Holmes mysteries out loud on a winter’s day, around a roaring fire. How was this possible? There was no cell phone, no social media. And, in our small southern town in Tennessee, no business was open on Sunday.. There was time and quietude. We were not wealthy or powerful people. Our relatives were farmers and skilled laborers. They all understood that dreams could be fulfilled with a good public education as a starting point.

I do not expect that we could or would want to go back to those “slow” times, but that we might look back to understand how to raise up citizens who are curious, well read, and able to function as a living guardrail to keep our democracy fit and strong.

A key skill is the ability to discern when ideas that are opposed to a healthy functioning democracy rise up as they do from time to time. This may be our most important function. An example is very relevant today.

Over numerous administrations, both Democratic and Republican, have abused Executive Power in the Presidency to act with less and less oversight by Congress – made up of the people we elect to represent us. One reason this abuse occurs is that the political parties have drifted into fierce oppositional parties; the loss of bipartisan legislation is almost complete in 2026. This leads to a loss of power among the people.

Today, American citizens can barely make heads from tails with an onslaught of disinformation and outright lies among representatives and even a President, and frankly the electorate. AI enables citizens to create false videos that can ruin a life, or fool and electorate. We are all to blame for the mess we are in today.

So, with this Opinion, I call upon us to stand up for what we pledge to be and do as citizens, representatives, administrations, and public institutions.

I would like the public and leadership at all levels to support the publics convergence to step back, think together, and then act locally and at state and federal levels to institute a national education and reconciliation process to bring Americans together across every “fence” that divides us. We must go back to scratch to recover our Republic.

What say you?