Today’s news that 106 Republican members of Congress and members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly signed briefs supporting the lawsuit filed by Texas’ Attorney General Ken Paxton should frighten ordinary American citizens and others across the globe. This lawsuit is an attack on our democracy – the system that our country is built upon. We shouldn’t take this lightly.
Democracy is not just a word. In action, it is democracy that balances our rights and responsibilities. This is critically important for all of us, including you.
As I wrote my dissertation a few years ago, my research led me to write about various threats to democracy. This gave me pause. Admittedly, I asked myself:
Who am I to write about threats to democracy in a study of education tax credits?
Am I being overly dramatic if I write this?
I decided to include several pages that address the threats to democracy that are fostered when public policy leads to increases in inequality and unequal participation in democratic functions – like collective decision making through voting. Here’s one excerpt from my study,
“Yet, the threat to society and the threat to democracy of having an educational system that works for some but leaves others ill-prepared to participate fully in society or even to support their families seems to be imminent. Rather than the collective “we” being responsible for education, a shift toward individual responsibility erodes the relationships that people have with trust networks, such as schools and their school community. This erosion of trust networks contributes to societal instability.” (Ambrose, 2019, p. 96)
What makes that relevant today?
Paxton, those members of Congress and the Pennsylvania General Assembly who support his suit are fighting to challenge the results of the vote for President while accepting the outcomes of all other races. That shows Paxton’s suit is not truly about the validity of the election. It is an attempt to retain power against the will of the people. One system cannot be both valid and invalid based on the race. Paxton and the other legislators know this. (Photo by lauren lulu taylor on Unsplash)
The elections in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin that Paxton is attacking in his suit were fair. After a Justice Department investigation, Attorney General William Barr publicly announced that there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud. The Presidential election, like down-ticket elections throughout the country, has been fairly determined by voters in every state. Every attempt to undermine the election chips away at the voice we rightly have as Americans to influence the direction of our government.
The purpose and likely outcome of this suit is to sow instability and erode trust in the very systems that we use to execute our rights to self-governance. We should be outraged not by the election results, but by the work of some to undermine our faith in a democratic system. We should all do what we can to increase civic involvement, to build trust in one another, and shape our systems to work for everyone.
Call to Action: We don’t all want or need to be politicians and legislators, but we can all be neighborly. Begin with hello. Talk to the people you encounter. Ask and listen to how they are doing and believe what they say, even if it unlike your own experience. Wish them well.
This is how we begin to rebuild trust in each other. That becomes the foundation for systems change.
References:
Ambrose, J. K. (2019). Purpose, policy, politics and power: Analysis of the Pennsylvania educational improvement tax credit program. Indiana University of Pennsylvania. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6520/e665e6e9453de9b9eb6aafe4419b713b82b8.pdf
Balsamo, Michael. “Disputing Trump, Barr Says No Widespread Election Fraud.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 1 Dec. 2020, apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d.
Richardson, Heather Cox. December 10, 2020. 11 Dec. 2020, heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/december-10-2020?r=5qo81.
December 11, 2020