Your democracy has not been hacked. It has been neither stolen nor hijacked. It has not been perverted. It never existed. Most of us grew up with the stories of the selfless heroes who laid down their lives so that we might live free. While, like most legends, there is some truth in these stories, the rumors of our freedom and our democratic traditions have been greatly exaggerated.
Our founding fathers wrote that all men are created equal. But consider that assertion. In, practice, it certainly doesn't seem as though all men were treated equally at the time. Beyond the obvious horrors of institutionalized slavery (the preservation of which was no small reason for the revolution), all men apparently meant all wealthy, white male landowners. That is who got the vote after the ousting of the British.
One could look back even further to the days of the revolution itself. All men were required to take up arms against the crown, whether they believed in the cause or not. Of course, if one owned a slave, he was more than welcome to have that slave serve in his stead. Money could also absolve you of your duty. For $300 (nothing to sneeze at in the 1770's), one could buy out of their obligation to the new republic. This would be a great American tradition for over one hundred years. The conflicts between racial and economic demographics would not be solved. They would be put on hold in the interest of uniting against a common enemy; an enemy the American government chose for the people.
And what about women? Aren't they all created equal? Not in the eyes of our founding fathers, and not in the eyes of many of our politicians today. We were the last of the "developed democracies" to grant women the right to vote. Think about the implications of that. 150-plus years after the declaration of independence, more than half the population of the country was considered not to be worthy of independent choice in their governance. Is that free? Is that democratic?
Many of the obstacles to true democracy put in place by our forefathers still exist. The electoral college, for instance, did and does aim to take power out of the hands of the American people; to monopolize democracy for a select few, and to give us the illusion of choice. Voter ID laws disproportionately target ethnic minorities and the poor. The corruption all too common to representative democracies is rampant in our system.The two-party narrative, the assertion that voting for anyone other than a Democrat or Republican is a throwaway vote, is crippling us and keeping us stagnant, docile. Certainly, the system has failed us. But not as much, perhaps, as we have failed ourselves.
Through all the corruption, lies, and unscrupulous political maneuvering, the mechanisms for the people to take charge do exist. We are not taking advantage of them. During the 2014 midterm elections, fewer than 30% of eligible voters came out to choose their representatives. Roughly 60% turnout is standard in national elections. 60% is still too little, but our state and local elections have a much more dramatic impact on our day-to-day lives. If people remain passive, nothing can change.
Revolution is an idea, not an act. It takes place in the mind long before it manifests through bullets and bombs. We don't just need a political revolution, but an intellectual one; a personal revolution. If the American people want to have a voice, it is necessary that we shout. Please turn up to vote in the presidential election. And vote for the candidate you agree with. Do not buy the propaganda, the claim that voting for anyone outside of the two establishment parties is a waste, or a vote for the other side. A wasted vote is one cast out of fear or cynicism. The responsibility is yours. Just reach out and take it.
