What’s democracy worth?

We’re finishing the first full week of a new year. That’s about 2% of the year gone. Today we had 8 hours and 59 minutes of daylight but zero hours of sunlight. Tomorrow is the first quarter moon. Next week we may get to enjoy a January thaw that lasts two or three days. A major improvement over yesterday’s -24℉.

daylight isn’t the same as sunshine

Photo by J. Harrington

But first we have to get through a couple of days in which  high temperatures aren’t expected to get out of the low single digits. Neither of the dogs approves of that kind of cold but, like their owners, neither  can they do much about it except tolerate it as best they can. It  doesn’t help that the tree is down and, slowly, very slowly, the rest of the decorations are being dismounted and packed away.

At the moment, it’s hard to imagine what next Christmas may be like, since it will not come until after the elections later this year. Will we still be a democracy? That’s something for which we hope to be able to give thanks although we may find ourselves having to work as hard as the Sons of Liberty once did to overturn the British loyalists to void the voter suppression and fascist behavior of today's Republicans. Perhaps it’s time to form the Sons of the Sons of Liberty?

When I was much younger, an occasionally popular phrase was “Suppose They Gave a War and No One Came.” Recently, The Guardian published a piece titled The next US civil war is already here – we just refuse to see it. It argues that Americans must reinvent America. If fails to address how that can happen when there is little, if any, discourse, let alone trust, between the Right and the Left.

Perhaps we could start by carefully and deeply considering a refrain written by an American singer--songwriter named Kris Kristofferson: “Freedom’s just another word for nothin left to lose.”  To that we can add some advice Will Rogers gave US years ago:  “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” Ask yourself these questions: who really benefits by having Americans at each other’s throats? who gains through  the weakening of our long-standing democracy?

Freedom

By Langston Hughes

Freedom will not come

Today, this year

            Nor ever

Through compromise and fear.

 

I have as much right

As the other fellow has

            To stand

On my two feet

And own the land.

 

I tire so of hearing people say,

Let things take their course.

Tomorrow is another day.

I do not need my freedom when I’m dead.

I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread.

            Freedom

            Is a strong seed

            Planted

            In a great need.

            I live here, too.

            I want my freedom

            Just as you.   

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