A Case For Democracy

And why I hope you celebrate the fourth too.

I love the 4^th of July.

It started when I was a child. Between the celebrations, food, fireworks, and the break from school, it all coalesced into a single magical day.

I can understand how that might be complicated for some people given the current state of affairs. I have been ashamed of the way my country has acted recently, the way that a few of my fellow Americans have chosen to bully and threaten others who are different from them.

It’s hard to find anything to be hopeful about these days. Between women’s rights being taken away, the reversal of conservation efforts, the belittling of science and educators, the inhumane treatment of immigrants and naturalized citizens, and a litany of other issues, it appears that a cascade of misfortune has fallen upon a great many people.

So why in the hell would someone want to celebrate 250 years of this country?

Because it’s your country too.

I want you to let that sink in for a moment. It’s your country too.

Whether you were born here or moved here, if you live here, work here, play here, raise your family here, contribute to society here, and do your part to try and make your community better, this is your country too.

The United States doesn’t belong to any single person; it belongs to the collective community of people who believe that we have a right to self-govern, to elect our leaders, and to pursue our own sliver of happiness.

I don’t have the time, or really even the intelligence, if I might be so blunt, to cover the atrocities and injustices that have affected so many groups over the course of this nation’s history. But I am reminded of a phrase that I think has more meaning now than ever: in order to form a more perfect union.

That phrase, found in the preamble to the Constitution, is a reminder that this country is a work in progress, and it always will be.

In a world that is increasingly becoming dominated by wannabe dictators, autocracies, and oligarchs consolidating wealth and resources at increasingly alarming rates, it’s important to remember the power of your voice and your vote.

Given the rapid deployment of new technologies, it will become increasingly easy for small cohorts to amass power and retain control.

There is a reason why the vast majority of human history has been dominated by kings, emperors, and populations sworn to fealty. It’s because dictatorships are brutally efficient. They don’t have to ask for permission; they don’t have to worry about consequences; they rule by ‘might is right’.

On the other hand, Democracies are slow and bureaucratic, and while some might see that as a weakness, I believe that is the very strength of the system.

We’ve forgotten the importance of listening to one another. We’ve become so entrenched in our beliefs that we treat them as dogma rather than as opportunities to learn something new and adjust our lives so everyone succeeds.

Our greatest strength lies in the things that make us different. Nowhere else can you find more types of people from diverse ethnicities, races, and religious backgrounds, all living and working together to steer the world's third most populous country.

But we’re doing it. And we’ll continue to do it.

I understand that this post was out of the norm for my usual stories of sustainability and hope, but I wanted to offer a different kind of hope.

The hope of change. The hope of a better tomorrow. A reminder that you matter. Despite the current state of affairs in the world, I still believe in a better future. But that future only works if we all participate.

So, that’s why I’m celebrating the Fourth of July this year. This is my country as much as it is anyone else’s who chooses to participate peacefully in our democracy.

Let freedom ring.