“In the final analysis, a democratic government represents the sum total of the courage and the integrity of its individuals. It cannot be better than they are.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
I love this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt for its wisdom and emphasis that our government, our democracy, is no better and no worse than each of us.
My parents, born during the Depression, taught their daughters that being in a democracy requires us to do our part in exercising the rights of citizens. They were always engaged in voting, reading history and political analysis. Wherever we lived (we moved frequently as a military family), my parents joined a church community, showed up at PTA and school functions, and loved engaging with neighbors. Of course there was a web of relationships because TV was just three major channels, and Americans on the whole shared similar beliefs about democracy no matter their declared political party.
True Story: My great grandfather on my Dad’s side of the family tree was Andrew Jackson Feathers. He was a small farmer in East Tennessee and, according to Dad, a real raconteur of his village (Watauga). My Dad as a young boy accompanied Andy Jackson on his horse drawn wagon filled with fresh produce from his farm. They would stop at small markets in the hollers and hills in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. At each stop, there would be an ongoing discussion among locals about politics, economics and news of the day. Dad was an active listener and adopted the habit of engagement in his time and government.
Gatherings were common in my family. We entertained ourselves with lively discussions.
We need to think clearly about the elements of our current social structure on the family to federal levels. What was working in a time when we shared the basic beliefs about democratic governance sans party considerations?
It’s easy to grow sentimental about the “good old days” which of course were not good for many Americans. But, I think there was something very wholesome about America when we actually all agreed that democracy was a precious thing worthy of protection and the exercise of its basic principles.
“A sound nation is built of individuals sound in body and mind and spirit. Government dares not ignore the individual citizen.” ~ Dwight Eisenhower, Address at a Rally in the Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio, 10/1/56 [AUDIO] Eisenhower Library
Senator Chris Murphy addresses the assault on three pillars of our democracy: 1) a free press; 2) university freedom of speech; 3) intimidation of lawyers.
19 minutes: The Best 19 you’ll spend today. Sen. Murphy defines The Moment.
Share this address far and wide. Everything we hold dear is on the block.
Below is the dedication of my first novel, Threshold, in which I give credit to my grandparents for sparking the idea to write a novel of hope and possibilities.
Let’s be frank. These are dangerous times for our American Democracy. Every day we witness more direct attacks on the guardrails put in place by the Founders in the Constitution. The project of democratic governance has been the labor of citizens, elected representatives, institutions and the government for all years since that founding and ratification in 1787.
Until now.
Will we stand up? Will democracy prevail through its greatest threat?
First, we must recognize the danger of this moment in history of the United States of America. I can think of no one better than Timothy Snyder, a Yale Professor recognized as one of our most effective voices on how democracies can die and how citizens can act to prevent it, to guide us in this moment. Dr. Snyder wrote On Tyranny and On Freedom – two small, powerful books with razor sharp vision of how democracy should act and how to spot its demise. Please check out his audio address from Ukraine on his “Thinking About” Substack account, linked below.
Read my recent Letter to U.S. Representative Jen A Kiggans. Hope you will write your representatives as well and call out all that we citizens see and know and remind them that the People run the government.
We can thank the destructive forces let into the heart of Democracy for showing us the truth of our founding principles among which are consent of the governed and the rule of law.
We witness an attempt to overthrow our government by a despot and the foolish people who follow in his path. Mostly, it is a party of grievances against the restraints imposed by principles established at our founding. These establish how we treat each other and live together.
Individuals who throw off the restraining standards of behavior toward one another and detest those principles of decency, respect and caring for each other are tyrants.
Further, neglect of the Earth from devouring forces that eat at her heartwood, not only rob our children of a future but imperil all life on the planet.
Our collective culpability is grave.
Unbridled capitalism is on display in the highest offices of the land, elected by unknowing citizens concerned with the costs of living while forgetting our responsibility to elect leaders who are grounded in the virtues that our founders asserted as a restraint on the forces of tyranny.
Let us join the choir of truth tellers emerging everywhere as our nation awakens to what we have done: we let a fox into the henhouse. This is not political but our individual responsibility to conduct ourselves with respect for each other.
The preservation of our republic is of vital importance today for another reason: the mounting threat to life on Earth. We are a nation that has forgotten that we live here only by the grace of Earth’s living, breathing body and spirit. For too long we have plundered the Earth for coin.
And now we have put a despot at the helm when the Earth is teetering on massive changes which may not include life as we know it. The entire planet is in flux. Even when we watch our fellow Americans fleeing raging fires, epic floods and death, and temperatures that render farmlands barren, this despot denies even his own body and thus imperils all of us.
The first step out of this dilemma is to admit the truth of our present reality. From there, we must resist every attempt of the now unrestrained actions of a man filled with anger and hair-brained ideas detached from the truth.
We may at a time not too far from now have to make bold decisions and risk all to stop him and the hoard who follow hoping for power, money, or at least to duck his vicious nature. If we don’t, we’ll not appear in any history book as standing up for a nation of free people but for the fact that no one will be around to write that history.
Emerging Resources for Citizens Searching for Truth and Community:
A great book, is Our Ancient Faith, Lincoln, Democracy, and The American Experiment by Allen C. Guelzo, Historian.
According to our ancient faith, Lincoln said in 1854, “the just powers of the governments are derived from the consent of the governed…. Lincoln translated…to mean “that no man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. I say that is the leading principle—the sheet anchor of American republicanism.” From Our Ancient Faith by Allen C. Guelzo, Chapter 1: The Cause of Human Liberty, p. 26.
Freedom, Nation’s Capitol. Photo by Susan L Feathers, 2013
Citizens, those who love and cherish the ideals of our democracy, make it a weekly practice to write to your Senators and Representatives and to members of Key Committees. Here is mine today to Senator Elissa Slotkin who is a member of the U. S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee.
We can never know whether what actions we take are heard but I have faith that if millions of freedom loving American write, call, email or visit their Congresspersons, the flame of democracy will never die in America. She may flicker now and then when despots blown in on hot air and untruths, or when we are temporarily fooled, but freedom has its way, always. We must remain undaunted!
One of the best resources for American Democracy is the nonpartisan National Constitution Center. They have a podcast, We the People, and Town Halls which bring together the best minds in history and law to discuss important topics related to our Republic.
Heather Cox Richardson, a Professor of American History and author of Letters from An American (Substack.com). Heather also does an informal response to readers questions on her Facebook account on Tuesday afternoons.
Timothy Snyder, a Professor of History with focus on Russia, Ukraine and international relations, is most available on his Substack.com account but if you go to YouTube, type in his name in the search function and numerous interviews and presentations pop up. Be sure to watch and listen to those about his small but popular book, On Tyranny. It is a guide to recognize when autocracy threatens democracies and what actions to take.
Anne Applebaum, a journalist, author and historian with focus on autocratic governments and their rise and defeat. Anne is a leading authority on autocracies and one of the clearest thinkers of our time.
One of the first things I did as I understood that an autocrat and movement were elected to lead this great nation, was to sit down and make a document with the contact information for my city council, state delegates, federal Congresspersons and Senators, AND identified the MAGA reps assigned to national cabinet positions and key committees in the House and Senate. Having these handy makes it easy and timely for contacting people in positions with power to make wise decisions to protect the nation.
Personally, I have upped my walking to keep in shape and in beautiful places to inspire me and to reduce stress.
Taking Action
We are encouraged to join with a group or form one for moral and social support. Second, we are encouraged to work on the state and local levels in any area of our working democracy that you feel you would like to work to protect and strengthen. For example, you may have concerns about public schools remaining the bedrock of democratic values. Attend the meetings and consider running for a place on the board.
Another example is my own: I am an environmental educator with concerns about the land, waters, and air quality in Virginia. So I joined a conservation organization, LynnhavenRiverNOW.org. They sponsored a half-day introduction to conservation issues for the State. I have signed up to take a bus to Richmond in January to lobby my delegates in the VA Assembly.
Inspiration to Endure
UPDATE [DECEMBER 31, 2024]: Clay Jenkins on NPR today discussed how people can creatively make the next four years outstanding. I highly recommend listening to this broadcast! It is for everyone, no politics.
Read or listen to great writers about history, democracy, and topics that give you a broad perspective on our nation’s path to freedom. Read about the guardrails our founding fathers put in place in the Constitution to ward off autocratic threats which arise when a people describe everyone as equal under the law and endowed with unalienable rights.
Attend community discussions about these issues. Be willing to offer your perspective, with respect for all points of view.
If you are a person of faith, read from the inspirational texts of that faith, or read and discuss the tenets and truths of people you respect and admire that refocus your mind for improving your own character.
Keep a curious and good sense of humor! Humor that reminds all of us to not take ourselves too seriously or reminds us of the pit traps of our own thought process. Humor that degrades others is simply tyranny.
In all of this, recall that our Republic is founded on religious freedom, separation between church and state (based on centuries of oppression and violence by the churches in Western Europe.) Keep the faith, keep it to yourself. Let your example be your persuasion.
I leave you with the words of President Eisenhower that are very relevant today as Donald Trump and a cohort of billionaires with personal interests in government contracts come to power. Right now, it seems like everything we cherish is up for grabs by unqualified people. Get yourself ready to wage truth.
Susan Feathers 