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.
“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.” ― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants (from goodreads)
“Our challenge is to create a new language, even a new sense of what it is to be human. It is to transcend not only national limitations, but even our species isolation, to enter into the larger community of living species. This brings about a completely new sense of reality and value.” (Thomas Berry, “The Ecological Age,” in The Dream of the Earth, 42). https://thomasberry.org/quotes/
Photo by Susan Feathers at Virginia Beach Botanical Garden Hydrangea Park
M. Scott Momaday, reading his poetry, A Man Made of Words.
To read or listen to powerful voices of people who have devoted their lives to celebrating the Earth is to heal and to find our way home. Each offers us solace and a direction for our lives as we anticipate times of destruction in America and around the world. Earth teaches us to live in community, to know each other and to be in reciprocal relationship with each other and all of life around us. I highly recommend these great teachers, each of whom has helped me understand a way forward in uncertain times. They offer hope and a longer point of view than ephemeral politics. They are an antidote to avarice. We need this deep resonance now to stabalize our spirits and our collective wish for unity, equality and peace.
Listening
Here is a brilliant conversation between Robin Wall Kimmerer and Emanuel Vaughn Lee of Emergence Magazine. Robin describes the wonderful serviceberry tree and what she has learned from its generosity. I also recommend Emergence Magazine for its films from artists and thought leaders across our great planet. I go there frequently to keep the balance.
To readers: I recommend Heather Cox Richardson and Timothy Snyder as historians and active citizens – as people who can provide trustworthy guidance as we move into a period. While we are entering a stark reality in he U.S.A., there is still much we can do to protect democracy, and there are long term strategies to protect the nearly 250 years of progress toward equality for all and the rule of law. In fact, if we do not engage in protecting this progress, we may lose it all.
What American Voters Actually Voted For
In state governments citizens voted to restore or protect abortion rights for women’s health; better wages; higher taxes on super wealthy, equality under the law, protection of workers’ rights. Voters also voted for climate mitigation and green energy development. Americans voted to protect right to fair voting rules. This is what Americans voted for on both sides of the political ticket.
Why did more than half of them then vote for Trump? They were deceived. Disinformation created a picture that by voting for the MAGA movement you would get all those things. They are in for a big disappointment.
We don’t have to stand by while Trump and his cronies hack away at democratic institutions and use violence against the American people.
We are entering a period of potential internal destruction/reconstruction of our governing structure (with the wealthiest men in the world in charge now) with promises to withdraw from international leadership (even participating at all) with other countries working together to keep a rules-based system of world peace. We’ll be cronies with Putin and the like. We are probably entering a period of isolation from other democracies while the new governance forms partnerships and deals with other autocracies that increase their power and individual wealth.
Trump promises to withdraw from the climate accords and he and the elected party deny that climate change is real. Call your Senators and Representatives to let them know you do not support this, even if they are MAGA recruits.
So we have some slivers of light and hope. On the local and state levels we can start building coalitions as a stabilizing force to what is happening federally. Many states are already working on this. Call your representatives.
All over the country we are witnessing right wing leaders declaring loyalty to Trump: “He is always right. Whatever he tells me to do, I will do it.” This is an acute sign of impending autocratic rule. Right from the play book.
Timothy Snyder, Yale professor of history, and author of On Tyranny and most recently On Freedom, calls this ‘obeying in advance’ to the dictator.
What can we do? We get in touch with our Senators and Representatives to tell them no, we do not believe this is right. We need to do this now. Also, create communities. Work together. You are probably already in one or more that have been active on one or more of these aspects of democratic governance.
Unqualified individuals and cronies of Trump are moving into powerful position such as Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense (heading up our entire miliary establishment). Shout from the mountain tops that you do not agree and will not support it!!!!!
Remember, Kamala and Tim built a large coalition of democracy-loving citizens from left, right and center.
We must now step up together to defend our country.
In a timely interview by Jon Stewart with Heather Cox Richardson, the historian reflects on how Americans chose an autocracy as our form of government, and then reflected that we have witnessed the end of the American century.
In that century Americans rose to the moment to protect America by joining free nations in the world to overcome autocracies led by Nazi Germany who strove to establish a white Christian oligarchy and rule by a few powerful men.
Richardson is a respected historian of history who publishes Letters from An Americans on Substack in which millions of readers learn to interpret the present moment in politics by understanding our history. She has become an island of sanity in the stream of disinformation on social media and legacy media. Richardson observes that voters in a “swirl of disinformation” voted for something they do not expect. In fact we elected an autocrat with eyes on dismantling our institutions that protect our democracy.
On this Veteran’s Day, how can I go to my father’s memory – a man who fought in WWII as a B-29 pilot and then came back to our democracy and served for another 22 years as an Air Force officer – now that we just threw away the country, the democracy, for which he risked his life and defended at great risk against autocracies that threatened the world?
We lost our democracy on November 5, 2024.
The truth is that Kamala Harris ran a strongly democratic campaign in a centrist coalition which gained Republicans, independents, and a diverse electorate in the belief that a majority of people with agency, doing the best for as many as possible, can continue a lasting, democracy. [This is a paraphrase from Heather Cox Richardson.]
This, then, is my tribute to all the Veterans – to the memory of my father, Edward B. Feathers, Colonel, US Air Force and recipient of the Air Medal of the Army Air Corp (now the Air Force)- who risked their lives in defense of democracy as did Veterans throughout our history.I pledge to you to devote what is left of my life to gain back the democracy we have lost.
Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generations. John F. Kennedy
Will the peaceful transfer of power and the rule of law prevail in the United States of America?
Dear Readers, America is at the brink.
How a candidate more UNqualified to lead this nation, and a man who committed crimes against the country, when he incited an insurrection, EVER WAS PRESIDENT continues to baffle me.
Autocracy is a creeping malice that begins when Americans forget their obligation to think for themselves, to learn the truth and speak their minds about that truth. To be an American takes effort on everyone’s part.
It saddens me that in today’s America we have forced candidates to speak about what they will give us, what they will do for us. We no longer discuss what we should be collectively under the mantle of this great nation’s mandate: All people are created equal and leaders govern under the consent of the people. We have obligations and responsibilities to keep democracy strong, as well as having rights.
No one has said this better than a notable Republican Judge. Michael Luttig was appointed by George H.W. Bush and served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 1991 to 2006. Here is the link to his recent Opinion in the New York Times. I encourage readers to take time to read it.
Before you vote, sit with yourself in quietude – if possible. Think about which candidate represents your values. Which candidate has earned the right to lead a representative democracy based on consent of the governed, the rule of law, and the belief that no one is above the law?
Who shows the character and knowledge (experience) to represent us at home and abroad? Who is consistent in the values that govern their public life?
Who lifts people up? Who presents a positive vision of who we are and where our nation can go together? Who brings us together without putting people down? Finally, who would you bring home to meet your mother?
“Remember the ladies… Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could.” ~ Abigail Adams
One of the treasures of the early American Republic is Abigail Adams, First Lady with President John Adams. She wrote a trove of letters to her husband John during the colonies’ break with Britain and the subsequent American Revolution. She endured President Adam’s long absences as he worked to finance the revolution and then later to construct a binding set of prinicples and laws that would help a new democracy sustain itself and grow. It was a formative time in our nation’s hsitory without the pomp and circumstance we modern Americans expect. The White House was but a dirty shell without furniture or amenities. Building continued during Adams’s Presidency, accomplished by enslaved people in sight of the symbols of freedom and equality.
Now consider that Abraham Lincoln held that the central principle of a democracy is consent of the governed. Consent he said derived from this: If I would not be a slave, so I must not enslave any person. Lincoln called this the “sheet anchor” of the Republic. This is realized through each person’s morality, that we consent to not impose any rule on another person without their consent. This creates high expectations on all Americans to live up to the principals outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. If I want my freedom of speech protected, I must protect every other person’s right to free speech.
The keystone of our American Democracy lay with the virtues or mores that each citizen must possess to fully engage in a democratic form of governance.
Without these guidewires, democracies risk the rise of despots who would misuse the words of freedom to their own selfish ends. This was the caution Abigail gave to John Adams. Women are providing strong leadership today. Kamala Harris is such a woman. She has a keen sense of humor and eagle eye for connivers and crooks and possesses the clarity and will to stand up for the truth without fear. We witnessed this in the only debate with Trump.
Such women are changemakers.
In the American body politic people’s common sense is kicking in as we are daily shocked by the ravages and rantings of what has become a diminished Republican Party and home to authoritarians.
Over time we have allowed people and parties and other countries to chip away at our democratic norms, twisting their meaning, denigrating their importance.
Republicans of the grand old party are joining Kamala and Tim to prevent men and women who have lost their moral compass and whose behavior is outside the boundaries (democratic norms) that leaders of a democracy must possess.
As more and more citizens join The Party of Opportunity, a new consensus is forming that is center of left and center of right. At least each shares a belief in the principles inherent in democracy and the Constitution – the expected norms by which we operate, legislate, and govern ourselves.
If we can take this yearning for truth and decency, to form a body politic that works together on behalf of all of us, then we may rise again as the most vibrant hope for a democratic way of life on Earth.
It’s possible we might even rescue civil discourse.
Sunrise on the Gulf of Mexico. Photo by Susan Feathers
Susan Feathers 