Wishing you a reflective 4th of July. (Do people read long posts anymore? Probably not. But for the few kindred spirits that might, I hope you will pass it on).
Almost 250 years ago 13 renegade colonies declared independence from the rule of a one party system with an all-powerful king. They opted for a messy, imperfect – but aspirational – multi party system with three equal governing branches of power. So we thought. Evidently we’ve been celebrating the 4th all wrong all along. What we are now told we have is an all powerful president, a puppet judiciary, and an insignificant legislature. Sounds like the same thing we had before 1776.
But: We still get to elect the president – though this November 5 may very well be the last time we do so before the next president changes the rules to ensure all future presidents are from his ruling party.
As we watch the parades, enjoy baseball and eat them hot dogs, I pray we will commit individually, with family, friends and community to vote November 5. It may be the last time it matters.
Hyperbolic? Think again. Read Project 2025. If after you read it, you agree with it, then your vote should certainly go to the one party MAGA administration. That is your pregorative. If you win, MAGA will rule, establishing a one party system with a king of a pesident, making everyone else ‘the enemy’.
If you read Project 2025 and don’t agree with it, then vote for the continued evolution of an imperfect and incomplete – but aspirational – system of governance. We may not have gotten it right yet and are certainly not there yet either, but the alternative ain’t pretty. Not pretty at all.
(No false equivalency please. The choice is stark. One is assured chaos, uncertainty, and a one party rule by force. The other is messy, argumentative, deliberative, inclusive, and governed by a spectrum of different opinions, styles and substance).
May you have a reflective 4th. And commit to vote vote vote.