Denial is a defense mechanism. We deny what is right in front of us because it is too disconcerting to face. We deny to reduce anxiety and stress. It does stress, but sadly, it does not reduce the magnitude of the problem.
People ask, “What should we do?” In the face of a frontal assault on democracy, our politics, and our people, what do we do? I do not pretend to have any special insight. I am aware that everybody has a theory. Still, I do know one small fact that may be worth sharing: We will do only what we can do.
What can we do?
We do not have special powers; this is not a Marvel comic book. By chance, one of us might find ourselves in a position to make a dramatic difference. If that happens, we hope we will recognize the opportunity, act without hesitation, and act for the common good.
For the rest of us? We can only do what is within our reach. We are in this place—right here, right now—and here is where we can address the problem. First and foremost, we can acknowledge it. Only then can we establish a beachhead and fight back. If that seems like a plan with low impact, well, maybe, but it is something we can actually do.
If we think this small county in a democratic state will be very little affected, we might be surprised. For years, we have been hearing about “trickle down.” Now you will see it in action. Money doesn’t trickle down half as fast as the zeitgeist. Ask if your local town administrators and chiefs of police are discussing what to do if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) comes and asks for local assistance in finding and rounding up immigrants. They are. Be part of the conversation. We may not win our point, but we can make our point.
Memory
Consider, Donald Trump came down that escalator in June 2015. For a decade, his special brand of oratory has been part of the American voice. This push to obliterate democracy has been overt, with its chief spokesman, for 10 years. Notice how much the underpinnings of a free and open society in a democratic government have been redefined. Notice how hate speech has become free speech. How the concept of democracy has morphed into concepts of entitlement and rights without responsibility. How simple social or commercial interchanges have transformed into complex interactions that include demands and threats. Finally, how opinions and facts are awarded equal attention and regard.
Our children and grandchildren know no other country. Our teens may have not been paying attention before the transformative escalator ride. We, the older generation, have far different memories. We can become storytellers. We can share memories of the America that was.
After all, democracy is just an idea manifested in a million tiny ways. Those ways are being taken away from us; we cannot let the idea itself and its manifestations be lost to future generations. People are always talking about guardrails; guideposts are just as important, or even more so. They try every day to obliterate the memory of a better time and deny it still exists even as they move to erase it. Once there was a country and a way of life that we were willing to die for—tell the story. The idea cannot be lost; the million manifestations must be articulated.
Process
Even now, we may not realize how much is arrayed against us. Even now, we may not realize why. Maybe we walked right past the simple reason in our search for the erudite. These are simple people, and their reason is simple: Why share the power and the pickings of this great and lush country when the opportunity is there to gather both into a few hands? Autocracy, oligarchy, monarchy, and junta are commonplace. Democracy is the rare gem, the single style of government informed by the Golden Rule and the sharing of resources. For the last decade, other values—supremacy and personal wealth—have been trumpeted and lauded. Right this minute, as they claim control, they are happy to tell you that the masses will suffer. Indeed, in a world of finite resources, if a few grab a lot, there is less left for the many.
This is heady stuff. What do we do about any of it? We might be surprised how easy it is. Autocracy too is an idea manifested in a million small ways. If we address the process, we might change the outcome.
I sat listening to the chair of a local committee oppose the open-meeting law because it gets in the way of accomplishment, slows progress. “Real work gets done between the meetings. The meeting only reports what we are doing.”
You want democracy, or its vestiges? Demand open meetings and attend them. Lift your voice; make yourself heard. You may win the point or just make it—both are important.
This current government may destroy our way of life, but it may not destroy our lives. How we live tomorrow may be dependent on how we act today. One caution: Don’t squabble about content. That is the land of distracting shiny objects. Demand fair and open process. That is the foundation of democracy. Remember our founders and what they fought for; for almost 300 years, their ideas held the line and kept the bullies at bay.
The basics
Read the Constitution. It is only 4,543 words. A graphic novel is 40,000 to 60,000 words; a comic book is over 20,000 words.
Read the Bill of Rights. It is a mere 652 words.
Read them. They describe the processes that will protect you. Our founders were fighting for freedom from tyranny too. Read the words that guided their ship, that had the steerage of their course. Just 5,000 words that created the country, its wealth, and promise, that they want to grab from us, and we want to hold onto.
