By Ken White / Herald Forum
With the holiday season comes the perennial New Year’s resolutions. People vow to save money, lose the extra 20 pounds, or read a book a month. But as we all know, sincerity doesn’t guarantee that resolutions will be fully realized. It’s understandable. Life happens. Money ends up spent for an unexpected plumbing extravaganza. Twenty pounds of loss turns into one or two if we’re lucky. And I’m still on page 15 of the book.
Personal resolutions often succumb to old habits or to new obligations of unexpected circumstances. That’s OK. Many personal resolutions are easily forgotten exactly because there’s not a lot at stake. It’s not the end of the world if a harmless resolution is postponed for a year. Money can be saved later. We can accept losing two pounds. And I can rationalize that the book never really captured my attention. (It’s the book’s fault.)
But 2021 has made me rethink resolutions. PBS reports that two-thirds of Americans believe American democracy is under serious threat. On Jan. 6, the U.S. Capitol was under violent and deadly siege for only the second time in our history (the first being during the War of 1812). Baseless claims (meaning absolutely no evidence) of widespread voter fraud are continually proclaimed by an ex-president, and several GOP-led states are working hard to enact voting laws and gerrymandered districts that would deny African-Americans, Latino-Americans, Native Americans, young Americans and progressive-minded Americans the power to vote.
For example, in Texas, where people of color account for approximately 70 percent of population growth, it is white, Republican districts that are getting additional representation. And one-third of Americans think that the country (particularly under Trump) was heading in the right direction. They support legislative efforts to overturn past and future democratic elections.
No, the resolutions that come to mind in 2021 are not solely personal; they are also political. They are not focused on money, losing weight or self-improvement. And they would not be easily forgotten. The stakes are high. We could lose our democracy. The cost could be a drastic change in our way of life; the benefit could redeem classic American values.
America needs political resolutions to save American democracy.
But what can civic-minded and involved citizens actually resolve to do? What can make a difference in our democracy?
One way of moving forward looks to “the butterfly effect.” It’s the idea that small actions can lead to gigantic effects. Can the flap of a butterfly’s wing influence a tornado’s time of formation and exact path? I don’t know. But I do know that small events can serve as catalysts for change. And so did Benjamin Franklin. He recognized that the loss of one horseshoe, leading to the loss of one horse, and then leading to the loss of one rider, could cause the loss of a war.
The National Conference on Citizenship has suggested a few small flaps of a butterfly’s wing that could help us win the war for democracy.
This first one is easy. You’ve already done it. Subscribe and read The Herald. Then share with family and friends how a local newspaper does not just carry the news but unites a whole community. A newspaper is central to a locality’s form and function. Newspapers give shape to a democracy and help it operate.
Shadow a journalist. Newspapers offer trusted facts because journalists have a professional code of ethics and objectivity. But people mistrust journalists because they never see what they actually do. Real journalists develop an understanding of a person, place or event and share that understanding in a well-rounded but honest manner (most of the time). Fake journalists result in “ordinary Americans being stuffed with garbage,” (Carl Bernstein).
Read a book about democracy. When I taught adult high school, I required students to read Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States.” It’s not the truth, but it is an alternative interpretation of American history that argues democracy is not just for the few. It awakens readers by challenging the traditional John Wayne American story. That’s not saying the story is not true; it’s just not completely true. Democracy needs other sides of the story. Columbus was courageous for making the journey and had a major impact on American history. But he also saw indigenous people as potential slaves and initiated a barbaric part of our past.
Carry a copy of the U.S. Constitution. Read a section everyday. Make it your companion. You’ll learn that the founders misspelled Pennsylvania, and that while in a democracy, the government doesn’t have the power to tell you what you can or can’t say in the workplace, your employer does. Constitutional freedom is not absolute.
If you haven’t already, vote. The views of people who run for offices other than the presidency matter. School board members are important. And make voting an even more democratic process. Sit down and talk with a family member or friend. Help another person to vote. Share the democratic wealth of conversation and discussion.
Write a public letter to someone in leadership. Let him or her know what you think. Submit a letter to the editor and share your views. (You’ll be surprised what kind of reactions you get.) Democracies depend on the free exchange of ideas. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. Just be a part of it. Participate. Point out a problem in the community that needs fixing or a part that’s working.
Volunteer. Do you know that the Volunteers of America has taken responsibility for managing the Carl Gibson Senior Center in Everett? They are welcoming volunteers. If you have time, get out and learn about your fellow citizens and parts of the community with which you may be unfamiliar. Democracies need cross-pollination.
Going back to Franklin, when he was asked after a session of the Constitutional Convention, “What kind of government have you given us?” he replied, “A democracy, if you can keep it.” Our nation is founded on the idea that it will continue only so long as Americans keep democracy alive.
Let us resolve to give future generations a stronger democracy than the one passed on to us.
Ken White lives in Marysville.
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