Roberts: Let’s celebrate the principles of representative democratic government

Published 1:30 am Friday, July 3, 2026

As we celebrate the 250-year anniversary of America and our great democracy, we should certainly do so with vigor and patriotism. There simply isn’t another country like this one. While it can sometimes be frustrating and exhausting, the history of this country proves that democracy is the best system and that it works.

Notwithstanding, while there are many success stories and many reasons to celebrate this monumental birthday, we should also not forget the wrong roads that many well-meaning and sometimes so-called patriotic Americans have traveled. We should remember there is still much effort needed and that democracy takes both work and justice to succeed.

For instance, we should remember to stand with people of color who stood shoulder to shoulder with white Americans to help defend our country’s freedoms through many wars. We should never forget the history of slavery in this country and the post-traumatic stress it has caused. The practice of slavery was both barbarian and evil, and its repetition and structure imposed racist layers that continue to deprive black Americans of opportunity today.

We also should not forget the atrocities committed against the very existence of our native Americans and the indigenous peoples. These communities, who had lived here from time immemorial, were essentially wiped out with the blessing of our government.

We should also remember to treat the undocumented residents in this country with kindness and respect, remembering that our forefathers were also immigrants. Those immigrants, who were our relatives, came here for a better life, to work, to raise a family and to do good. Isn’t that primarily what modern undocumented immigrants are trying to do?

President Trump and the Republican Congress recently appropriated 71 billion dollars to fight illegal immigration. To put in context how much money that is, you could give EVERY person in Seattle about $100,000 with that amount of money! While I believe in some border law and just immigration enforcement, targeting primarily brown skinned people is outrageously immoral and essentially racist.

We should also not forget the First Amendment’s protection against government establishment of religion, a.k.a. the separation of church and state. This separation helps inoculate America from religious nationalism and was backed by most of the founders of our constitution. It helps to keep the purity of the message, or any religious message, untainted by governmental influence.

Also important to note, our forefathers fought and resisted the monarchy and believed there was no room here for a king. Our country has always been bigger than one person or any one prideful personality. That was true then and it is true now. To quote the hope that Abraham Lincoln had when he spoke the Gettysburg address, “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” We don’t need a king, rather we need a government that is fair and is people centric. We need to stay focused on democratic governance.

Democracy was, and still is, a formula for success and is best expressed in just behavior. Our great republic has stood for 250 years with these critical democratic principles in place. If we want to make our country great, let us do so in the way the framers of our constitution intended. No movement can be democratic or patriotic if it divides or fails to unite our country. No great democracy, or any great leader for that matter, would call its people by childish names or slander citizens.

Notwithstanding the challenges to govern in this great democracy, we should celebrate and be grateful for the 250th birthday of our nation and the principles of representative democratic government. We should celebrate the right to free speech and the right for a free press. We should always celebrate our right to practice our faith without governmental interference. These rights are outstanding.

Even though democratic governance can at times present some significant and messy disagreement, at the end of the day, a true democracy, after a vote, closes ranks and does what the majority sees as fit. This is just and fair and has worked for 250 years and we should celebrate that.

The views and opinions expressed in this essay are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or positions of the city of Stanwood, the Stanwood City Council, or any other governmental entity.