11/5/24: Felonious assault?

Next November 5 has the possibility of telling the world a lot about the character of the American people. Barring the unforeseen, a growing challenge these days, the choice will be between a sitting president with a demonstrable track record and a convicted felon not noted for his truth-telling. In the world I grew up in, it shouldn’t even be close. If it is close, people should remember that "It was Joseph de Maistre who wrote in 1811 "Every nation gets the government it deserves.”” It may be difficult to claim we are a nation governed of, by, and for the people if we allow a felonious, autocratic, would-be dictator to get elected by those who deserve such.

Many these days choose to blame tRUMP for many things wrong with the country. I believe that’s misplacing blame that should be borne by those who voted for him in 2016. Although, if we were to do a root cause analysis, blame should lie with the Democratic and Republican parties who chose the candidates for president in 2016.

Perhaps the real issue is that we have, after almost 250 years, come to take democracy for granted. Perhaps we have compromised our way into something less than mediocrity. According to an assessment by US News, the US ranks 23rd in Quality of Life, although we’re ranked higher in other categories. Might it be time for US to figure out what we really want to be when we grow up?

We need significant improvements in our education and heath care systems. The urban-rural divide needs, at a minimum, better bridges. We also must find a way to make any major political party more democratic and less under the control of an oligarchy if we want a democracy worthy of the name.

Democracy Poem #1

By June Jordan

Tell them that I stood

in line

and I waited

and I waited

like everybody

else

But I never got

called

And I keep that scrap

of paper

in my pocket

just in case

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