Dying Democracy Unsweet for Founding Fathers' Memorial
18 February 2024 By Abiodun Kareem Giwa
America's first president, George Washington, was in the middle, surrounded by other founding fathers.
It is President George Washington's Birthday, otherwise called the President's Day. Americans should be popping champagne and dancing in celebration, but instead, the nation's state calls for a deep reflection on democracy and its future. Many observers talk about America's dying democracy. Are they right? Don't they understand the underlying factors that make democracy work and are unappreciative of the founding fathers' legacy? Everyone arriving in America for the first time praises the founding fathers and wishes their countries have such men with dreams and aspirations for the future - a home for the brave and the free under the rule of law—a place where tyranny has no room.
There are many reasons people want to come and live in the U.S. Many would be here without legal restrictions forbidding illegal entry. The country deserves respect at the organizational level based on its foundation, history of free and fair elections, the right to protest, and court with juries as the last judge, believably unaffected by political corruption.
However, some developments have tainted an otherwise excellent state of affairs. Many Americans discuss it as it affects their well-being and the country's democratic culture. The fear is that corruption will affect their goodness if it creeps into the elections. If the right to protest belongs to one group and the other group's protest is termed an insurrection, it takes away the freedom and coerces the bravery given to all by the founding fathers.
Events after the 2020 elections have cast doubts on the ability to maintain the sanity intended by the Constitution. Unlike permanent residents, naturalized Americans have the right to vote in elections. Some politicians confuse this with their push for everyone to vote. And that is only part this writer gathered from two Americans' debate on a train on the state of America's election.
"It was my third time voting in a presidential election in 2020. It was the first time I witnessed results went beyond 11:00 pm. And it makes me question the fairness of the elections."
"You are new in America. The first problem was in 2000 between George Bush and Al Gore. Democrats believed the Republicans won the election with Jeb Bush as Florida's governor. They, too, begin seeking ways to outsmart the Republicans."
The law says voters should be physically present to vote except in exceptional circumstances. Politicians have turned it around to allow non-disabled people to do mail-in ballots called early voting. They are said to have favored the Democrats in 2020, and Republicans are talking about matching Democrats in that aspect. Observers ask why the nation cannot return to fulfilling the law for all to be physically present at the polling booth with IDs to prove citizenship. No, some politicians are adamantly against ID. Then, why issue an ID if not used in an essential civil rights occasion like voting? All Americans must assemble their heads to debate the issue before the next election, especially now that migrants have breached the border and all over to be instruments in reckless politicians' hands.
America's election must remain free and fair, not just seen as such. The most problematic aspect of the development is the right to protest and confusing a mismanaged protest to an insurrection. Americans witnessed the mother of all demonstrations before the event at Congress by Donald Trump's supporters: shops burnt, businesses disrupted, and people killed. Culprits arrested by police regained freedom with the help of highly placed politicians who said protesters were exercising their rights. Good. But no sooner did another demonstration occur that affected Congress, called an insurrection because protesters breached the walls. First, those demonstrators were protesting against the lack of fairness in the election. Second, the people's house was the only place to take their questions over the election. Third, Congress knew before the day there would be a demonstration - a right under the Constitution. Rather than provide security for Congress, the leaders treated the matter with carelessness. Demonstrators arrived at Congress, and they breached it for lack of security. Then, the affected Congress members turned the event into an insurrection, supported by their media.
Let us look at how George Washington addressed an actual rebellion. "For God's sake …if they (the rebels) have real grievances, address them; if they have not, employ the force of government against them at once," James Q. Wilson wrote in The American Government. It makes a reader question the difference between rebellion and insurrection.
There is little difference, but rebellion involves outright armed rejection of authority. Insurrection is a revolt involving the overpowering of security forces. They went to Congress to present grievances against an election. There was no report Congress heard or listened to them. Weren't they aggrieved? They were, and the lack of security allowed them to breach. Some Congress officers failed to secure the people's houses, and they placed the fault on angry demonstrators. The cause of the demonstration and breaching of Congress left unaddressed: the question that hangs over free and fair election. Instead, demonstrators became victims. Stopping Trump became an urge. The problem with the election still exists with the country heading towards another election.
Jefferson declared that these truths are self-evident, that all men are created equal, that their Creator endows them with certain unalienable Rights, and that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. - To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. No government elected by the people is different from another. The people's votes give legitimacy. Americans witnessed a varying development following the 2016 elections following Hillary Clinton's loss. Some politicians openly said they did not recognize Trump as president, encouraging their followers to lawlessness. Protesters nearly upended the cities, disguising themselves to protest against George Floyd's murder. Demonstrators almost overrun the White House, safe the tight security, showing the difference between handling the situation and Congress. How many people were arrested and prosecuted for insurrection at the White House?
The pain from the politicization of issues in the polity is that precious time to address many problems facing the country directed at impeaching Trump on baseless allegations and charging citizens who believed they had the right to protest. Unaware politicians could take the rights away to protect their interests. The reason curious Americans are worried is that many are saying they are witnessing a dying democracy amid the weaponization of the justice system against Donald Trump and his supporters, and millions of followers demonized.
Washington said if the rebels had genuine grievances, redress them or employ the force of government. The people's representatives were not there to receive and hear the protesters in 2020, and the government's force was absent. If it wishes, Congress still has time to address problems militating against free and fair elections and make illegal entry into the country punishable under the law before November to avoid the mess of the past few years for the founding fathers' sweet memorial.
There are many reasons people want to come and live in the U.S. Many would be here without legal restrictions forbidding illegal entry. The country deserves respect at the organizational level based on its foundation, history of free and fair elections, the right to protest, and court with juries as the last judge, believably unaffected by political corruption.
However, some developments have tainted an otherwise excellent state of affairs. Many Americans discuss it as it affects their well-being and the country's democratic culture. The fear is that corruption will affect their goodness if it creeps into the elections. If the right to protest belongs to one group and the other group's protest is termed an insurrection, it takes away the freedom and coerces the bravery given to all by the founding fathers.
Events after the 2020 elections have cast doubts on the ability to maintain the sanity intended by the Constitution. Unlike permanent residents, naturalized Americans have the right to vote in elections. Some politicians confuse this with their push for everyone to vote. And that is only part this writer gathered from two Americans' debate on a train on the state of America's election.
"It was my third time voting in a presidential election in 2020. It was the first time I witnessed results went beyond 11:00 pm. And it makes me question the fairness of the elections."
"You are new in America. The first problem was in 2000 between George Bush and Al Gore. Democrats believed the Republicans won the election with Jeb Bush as Florida's governor. They, too, begin seeking ways to outsmart the Republicans."
The law says voters should be physically present to vote except in exceptional circumstances. Politicians have turned it around to allow non-disabled people to do mail-in ballots called early voting. They are said to have favored the Democrats in 2020, and Republicans are talking about matching Democrats in that aspect. Observers ask why the nation cannot return to fulfilling the law for all to be physically present at the polling booth with IDs to prove citizenship. No, some politicians are adamantly against ID. Then, why issue an ID if not used in an essential civil rights occasion like voting? All Americans must assemble their heads to debate the issue before the next election, especially now that migrants have breached the border and all over to be instruments in reckless politicians' hands.
America's election must remain free and fair, not just seen as such. The most problematic aspect of the development is the right to protest and confusing a mismanaged protest to an insurrection. Americans witnessed the mother of all demonstrations before the event at Congress by Donald Trump's supporters: shops burnt, businesses disrupted, and people killed. Culprits arrested by police regained freedom with the help of highly placed politicians who said protesters were exercising their rights. Good. But no sooner did another demonstration occur that affected Congress, called an insurrection because protesters breached the walls. First, those demonstrators were protesting against the lack of fairness in the election. Second, the people's house was the only place to take their questions over the election. Third, Congress knew before the day there would be a demonstration - a right under the Constitution. Rather than provide security for Congress, the leaders treated the matter with carelessness. Demonstrators arrived at Congress, and they breached it for lack of security. Then, the affected Congress members turned the event into an insurrection, supported by their media.
Let us look at how George Washington addressed an actual rebellion. "For God's sake …if they (the rebels) have real grievances, address them; if they have not, employ the force of government against them at once," James Q. Wilson wrote in The American Government. It makes a reader question the difference between rebellion and insurrection.
There is little difference, but rebellion involves outright armed rejection of authority. Insurrection is a revolt involving the overpowering of security forces. They went to Congress to present grievances against an election. There was no report Congress heard or listened to them. Weren't they aggrieved? They were, and the lack of security allowed them to breach. Some Congress officers failed to secure the people's houses, and they placed the fault on angry demonstrators. The cause of the demonstration and breaching of Congress left unaddressed: the question that hangs over free and fair election. Instead, demonstrators became victims. Stopping Trump became an urge. The problem with the election still exists with the country heading towards another election.
Jefferson declared that these truths are self-evident, that all men are created equal, that their Creator endows them with certain unalienable Rights, and that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. - To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. No government elected by the people is different from another. The people's votes give legitimacy. Americans witnessed a varying development following the 2016 elections following Hillary Clinton's loss. Some politicians openly said they did not recognize Trump as president, encouraging their followers to lawlessness. Protesters nearly upended the cities, disguising themselves to protest against George Floyd's murder. Demonstrators almost overrun the White House, safe the tight security, showing the difference between handling the situation and Congress. How many people were arrested and prosecuted for insurrection at the White House?
The pain from the politicization of issues in the polity is that precious time to address many problems facing the country directed at impeaching Trump on baseless allegations and charging citizens who believed they had the right to protest. Unaware politicians could take the rights away to protect their interests. The reason curious Americans are worried is that many are saying they are witnessing a dying democracy amid the weaponization of the justice system against Donald Trump and his supporters, and millions of followers demonized.
Washington said if the rebels had genuine grievances, redress them or employ the force of government. The people's representatives were not there to receive and hear the protesters in 2020, and the government's force was absent. If it wishes, Congress still has time to address problems militating against free and fair elections and make illegal entry into the country punishable under the law before November to avoid the mess of the past few years for the founding fathers' sweet memorial.
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