FYI logo

How We Can Save American Democracy...

Thoughts on the future of the United States and how its course can be changed

By Blaine ColemanPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 9 min read
Like
Image credit: Markus Spiske-2990644- Pexels

I have read many stories online about the sad and deteriorating state of democracy, the coming collapse, the fascism creeping in, Nazis and violent rightwing militias coming out from the woodwork, how we’re becoming a “third-world” nation, and the death of the "Great American Experiment". Many of those stories are in-depth explorations of the problems we face, written by knowledgeable people.

And it is great to understand more about our impending downfall as a nation and as individuals it is always good to be reminded of the major issue that confronts us and I appreciate them.

But few, if any, writers offer concrete solutions beyond for calls to action without examples of just what actions to take.

This may not be as in-depth as others, but I am going to try to be concise and offer practical advice if nothing else. And yes, voting, regardless of what you think of it, is one of the few keys we have left to stop our descent into the fascist, authoritarian, strong man, nation many writers predict based on the legion of obvious signs that we are headed that way.

Many believe that it is already too late, that we have fallen too far to be saved and should just accept our bleak future, but I don’t believe that is true. And I am not going to just stand aside while bullies wrap themselves in the flag and destroy the America in which I grew up. I will not give in; I will not give up. I will do everything I can because I do love the idea of America, or the America I was told about in school, and the aspirations it promises, even if many are yet to be met, and the promise America offers is what I will fight to keep. For me, that is true patriotism.

And it has nothing to do with wearing a red hat.

~ ~ ~

These are questions we should ask ourselves:

Do we want a one-party government?

Is that any different than an authoritarian government?

Do we really want the fascist authoritarian government that is well on its way to becoming our new reality?

One Party already has the Supreme Court on its side and is close to taking back Congress.

Do we want the fascist, Nazi-loving, KKK accepting, white-supremacist Party to control everything?

Do we want to give up most of the progress that has been made in civil rights in the past 60 years?

Do we want minorities to continue to be treated as “second class” citizens, not officially, of course, but through actions taken that ensure it?

Do we want the minimum wage eliminated, along with any hope of ever getting a living wage?

Should climate change be ignored?

Should the rich and huge corporations continue to pay little or no taxes?

Do we want our roads to crumble, bridges collapse, shipping ports, and railways to not be maintained?

Are any of those things what we want?

It is safe to assume your answer is “no, that is not what we want”.

Because that is the direction we are being steered in and too few even notice it. It is like the "boiled frog experiment". Put a frog in a pot of cool water then heat the water slowly enough that the frog does not notice until it is too late, and nothing can save it.

I cannot think of a better analogy of American democracy- we are the boiling frog. And we are purposely distracted from the slowly warming water by entertainment, binge-watching Netflix, social media, celebrity worship, race relations, immigration, crime rates, police shootings, utterances from a has-been former POTUS, or anything else the 24-hour cable news networks can make into either must-see TV or a “crisis”, as our rights are eroded slowly and taken away, chipped at around the base and gone before anyone notices.

But there are actions we can take to change that course and it is going to take all of us who say “no” to the questions above. The first thing to do is to forget divisive labels; Progressives, Leftists, Centrists, Democrats, Socialists, Democratic Socialists, Independents, Republicans, Boomers, Millennials, Gen-Z’ers, Gen-Xers, the “Lost Generation” (and I am sure I have left out many).

Labels divide and we must unite, or we will lose it all.

We are Americans.

Any other label is secondary to that.

A house divided is a house that will surely fall.

Many states have enacted laws that make voting more difficult, and more laws, restrictions, and gerrymandered districts will be in place before this year’s elections but do not let them win. Fight back and vote anyway.

Do not let them take away your fundamental, and most important right: to vote in a free and fair election. If you fail to exercise that right this year you may never get another chance. And that is not hyperbole, it is fact.

It is your right and your civic responsibility. It might be difficult, but it must be done if we are to have any hope for a better future. Our responsibility is to overcome every obstacle they place in front of us because if we do not, we will be exactly where they want us, the "boiling frog".

Do not let the fascists control our future. We have power, and we must use it. Before it is too late. Again, not hyperbole, but fact.

Rightwing militias, Nazis, KKK followers, marching in the streets, attacking Blacks, Jews, Muslims, or anyone of color, openly attacking local or state governments, using “stand your ground” laws to legally murder people- those things and so much more have slowly been normalized in our society.

The banning of peaceful protests from those who oppose the government or certain policies will be stopped by police, but right-wing protestors will be immune from prosecution, just not by written laws. Punishing the victim instead of the perpetrator will become accepted practice. It has already happened and continues to do so. But do not forget they blame Black Lives Matter and “antifa” for it all.

And many people believe those lies because they hear them repeated every day.

We will have Kyle Rittenhouse day, every day!

And that kind of society is not a civilized society. And not one that I would want my grandchildren, or anyone, to grow up in.

No matter who wins the Presidential election in 2024, if it is not the Republican candidate the election will be challenged in every way possible. We saw that in the 2020 election and the same lies are still being propagated and state election laws rewritten to be sure the 2024 election will be the last election in which the vote count means anything.

If the Republican candidate is not Trump, then it will be someone like him but smarter, craftier, and able to force his way into office, no matter how many millions of votes he loses by. When the legal challenges fail, the Republicans will try to force Congress to decide the winner.

When that happens, each state gets one vote. As of now, there 28 Republican-controlled states and 22 Democrat-controlled. If the state governors get to decide then the Republican candidate will be our new POTUS, with the Supreme Court on his side. And if Republicans control Congress, they will have the perfect trifecta of power.

Regardless of your vote. They intend to steal it from you.

And that makes state governorships vital.

There are 36 state governors up for reelection this year and many legislatures and localities. 2022 is our last chance to stop the fascists and autocrats from getting full control of our government. A list of 2022 state and local elections can be found here. If more than 25 states are Democrat-controlled in 2024, the losing Republican will have one less guaranteed path to taking over. They will still have SCOTUS and the fact that it chose the winner in 2000 is a bad sign, but with a big enough vote margin, that, too, can be overcome. Probably.

An Electoral college that allows roughly one-third of the population to control the other two-thirds needs to be changed. But when it puts that minority in charge, it will not be changed. Anything that might take away the minority Party’s self-proclaimed “rightful” status as our Leaders will never be changed while the minority is in control.

All Congressional seats are up for election this year and many Senate seats are open as well. A few more Democrats in the Senate could pull the pedestal right out from under Joe Manchin, and the BBB and so much more could finally be passed.

We have the power (for the next nine months, at least), to change the course of our future, to choose the America we want. Let’s not act become the "boiling frog" and remain distracted by faux crisis and shiny new objects while the water, our world, gets worse as we watch.

Or our future will be a bleak place indeed.

I do not want to be a “boiled frog”.

I know most readers do not need to be reminded of the legion of things that need to be addressed both inside and outside of government, which is why we cannot let the minority get complete control, especially considering the fact that there is more than one gun available for every man, woman and child in the nation, the “open carry everywhere” law the SCOTUS will decide on before the election, the “active shooter” drills school children are now forced to go through, the issues between police and people of color, the fights over vaccinations, and mask mandates, over masks being worn in public places, in schools, the open attacks and even death threats on school board members, the twisting, pruning of history in K-12 education, the banning of books in schools and libraries.

The idea of public book burnings in the town square no longer seems farfetched…

More information on upcoming elections and registration deadlines can be found here.

Below is a list of 10 open Senate seats, 8 of which are considered competitive:

1. Pennsylvania

Incumbent: Republican Pat Toomey (retiring)

Democrat- John Fetterman

Fetterman is a Progressive, Lamb a centrist.

2. Georgia

Incumbent: Democrat Raphael Warnock

3. Wisconsin

Incumbent: Republican Ron Johnson

4. North Carolina

Incumbent: Republican Richard Burr (retiring)

5. Arizona

Incumbent: Democrat Mark Kelly

6. Nevada

Incumbent: Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto

7. New Hampshire

Incumbent: Democrat Maggie Hassan

8. Ohio

Incumbent: Republican Rob Portman (retiring)

9. Florida

Incumbent: Republican Marco Rubio

10. Colorado

Incumbent: Democrat Michael Bennet

~ ~ ~

This story was originally posted on Medium.

Thank you for reading this short piece and I hope you enjoyed it. I have other stories and poetry written and more to write, along with my thoughts on issues of the day, spirituality, religion, politics, and more. You can subscribe to Vocal using my link and see all new work as I publish it and you can also read the thoughts, stories, and viewpoints shared by thousands of writers. And part of the money from every membership helps us all continue to publish and share our work.

I can also be found on Medium, Simily, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

I hope you enjoy my work, and a small tip will help me to continue writing.

Humanity
Like

About the Creator

Blaine Coleman

I enjoy a quiet retirement with my life partner and our three dogs.

It is the little joys in life that matter.

I write fiction and some nonfiction.

A student of life, the flow of the Tao leads me on this plane of existence.

Spirit is Life.

Reader insights

Nice work

Very well written. Keep up the good work!

Top insight

  1. Expert insights and opinions

    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.