DEMOCRACY: The existence of democracy in America is a work in progress as an example for other nations
Contributed
November 16,, 2022
WASHINGTON (AGN.News) – The history of 21st century democracy in America has always been a study of its people, its communities, and its leaders. What has our nation’s 246 year history revealed about America’s democracy?
Democracy is a work in progress
American democracy is an ever-changing ecosystem requiring the full attention of the governed as well as the government and its leaders. Over time democracy has been called into question when leaders of people fight for their personal right to decide how democracy should work. That is, democracy as they define it.
Case in point: When the U.S. planter class realized the need for labor to plant and harvest crops on vast tracts of land, they wanted their profit margins to increase. One way to increase profits was to buy laborers rather than hire laborers.
Since many of the then-democratic leadership were planters, they were offered a novel idea of owning slaves. Many of them bought African slaves. They bought and sold human beings all across the country.
Democracy permitted slavery of people
Prominent leaders like Joseph Wragg (1698 – 1751) who was a political leader and slave trader in the Province of South Carolina. He was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England and immigrated to the American colonies where he became a pioneer in the slave trade.
During the 1730s, Wragg was the predominant slave trader in South Carolina. The neighborhood of Wraggborough in Charleston, South Carolina is named for him; and two city parks and seven streets in Charleston are named for him and his descendants.
In 1767, Gadsden’s Wharf was used to sell slaves. Many American leaders were determined to allow its communities to be supported by slave labor with no end in site. Some became presidents, governors, military leaders, mayors and business owners. They lived and died believing slavery would always exist in America.
Democracy and the Revolutionary War
The desire for democracy literally so overwhelmed the colonists, they set in motion a revolution. The colonists were fully aware of the desire of the British. They knew it was going to be a fight. “Never let the 13 colonies become independent!” …was the British attitude.
On March 5, 1770, an African American man name Crispus Attucks was the first American killed in the American Revolution. It was the day of the Boston Massacre. This was a confrontation in Boston, in which a group of nine British soldiers shot five people.
The fighting continued until the revolution began on April 19, 1775, followed by the Lee Resolution on July 2, 1776, and the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The American Patriots were supported by the Kingdom of France among others.
The American Revolutionary War between Great Britain and 13 of its North American colonies, which had declared themselves the independent United States of America was a war for democracy. It lasted until September 3, 1783.
Democracy can never be taken for granted. It is a perpetual fight against those who want to destroy it if they can not make it what they want.
America won the war but the fight for democracy was not over. Seventy-eight years later another war for democracy began in 1861, the Civil War.
Democracy and the American Civil War
In 1854, the future President of the U.S., Abraham Lincoln, gave a speech in Peoria, Illinois condemning the enslavement of people. He knew there needed to be an end to democratic-sanctioned slavery of America’s people.
In 1861, democratic leaders in Southern States formed the Confederate States of America, wrote their own state constitutions allowing for slavery, and went to war against the United States to preserve the institution of slavery.
When he became president in 1861, Lincoln had the power to bring slavery to an end. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation, officially Proclamation 95.
Proclamation 95 was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the Civil War.
The Proclamation changed the legal status of more than 3.5 million enslaved African Americans in the secessionist Confederate states from enslaved to free.
The leadership of the Confederacy were determined to fight for their right to enslave African Americans under the banner of democracy. The profits from free labor were too great to give up. So they attacked the Union and lost.
The Gettysburg Address and Democracy
On November 19, 1863, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. This was a speech he gave four and a half months after the Union armies defeated Confederate forces in the Battle of Gettysburg, the Civil War’s deadliest battle.
Lincoln began his speech with the words, “Four score and seven years ago,” referring to the signing of the Declaration of Independence 87 years earlier. As he continued, Lincoln described the U.S. as a nation “conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” (united as a nation).
Lincoln wanted Americans to be “dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain…”
Lincoln wanted Americans to build a nation of UNITED people who don’t fight each other for political advantage but work together to prove the dead at Gettysburg who gave their lives to unite the nation did not die for nothing. The “great task” before us is to preserve the unity for which they died.
Lincoln represented the Civil War as a test that would determine whether such a nation as ours could endure because of the enemies within who want to destroy it if they could not have there way.
The Confederates lost the war
The Civil War ended with the surrender of the Confederates in 1865. Their idea of democracy was a total failure. After nearly five years, billions of dollars of property loses, and hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded, their idea of democracy failed.
However, the Confederates lost the war but they were not through fighting against the United States of America. Notice, the word “United” as in a people united, united in the preservation of the Union.
Today, many Americans are still holding on to the past ideas of the failed Confederate States’ experiment in democracy. Today, on the other hand, the majority of Americans have a very clear understanding of what democracy is or what it should be and are fighting everyday to preserve it.
What does democracy include?
Concept of democracy is like an unfinished house being remodeled. Some rooms are complete while others are a work in progress. No end date has been set for its completion, so the work goes on everyday.
Different leaders come and go but the work remains the same. Many new leaders have their own idea of what the house should look like and try to get some of the workers to see things their way, but almost always fail.
Just like the remodeling crew, some go along with the conspiratorial ideas and end up disappointed while others see clear through those less than democratic ideas and continue to resist going down that dead end path.
Foundation of democracy today!
Cornerstones of democracy include freedom of assembly, association, property rights, freedom of religion and speech, inclusiveness and equality.
Democracy also includes citizenship, consent of the governed, voting rights, freedom from unwarranted governmental deprivation of the right to life and liberty, and minority rights.
How does democracy apply today?
All through America’s history men and women have seemingly came from nowhere with a better idea of what America should look like and convince hundreds or even thousands to follow them. Many people looking on at the crowd and join in with the belief all those people can’t be wrong.
So, many simply flock to the “new ideas” with this understanding: the crowd is on the right path. Some may even take up arms to defend the ideas. One thing history of America has taught us is this: size and tricky speech by “leaders” does not mean its right for democracy.
What would past leaders say?
If, and we say “If” some of America’s former leaders could come back to life and see this beautiful country with millions of people of all races, social, economic, national backgrounds, and ethnic communities working together, supporting one another, running political campaigns and winning, what would they say?
First, some have readily agreed these former leaders would go into shock after learning they were all wrong in their belief and actions. Many would apologize to the masses for misleading them.
Others would see the error of their lies and deception heaped upon the population. These ones would likely be remorseful for leading people into the path of injury, death or imprisonment.
With humble hearts some would be ashamed of the role they’ve played in steering people away from true democratic values onto the dead-end road leading off into destruction and ruin.
Then, others would want to burn it all to the ground if they could not have it their way again. Rule or ruin would be their motto. Their moniker would be “The Destroyer”. These are the most dangerous people to democracy.
These “new leaders” often lure the unsuspecting into their orbit by bringing up common grievances as a way into the mind of the innocent. They see democracy as “follow me” and “do what I say do”, forget about the Constitution, the bill of Rights, and all those “old Amendments”. “I have a better way!” is what they say!
History tells us of the rise of “leaders” who have lead whole nations into the path of destruction. This is exactly what happened to America between 1861 and 1865. The democracy-loving people held onto their values relating to democracy, regained government control, and continued to progress into the 21st century.
Democracy brought an end to slavery in 1865; Democracy gave women the right to vote in 1920; Democracy gave voting rights to all Americans; Democracy gave the right to free speech; the right to practice the religion of one’s choice; the right to an education, and many other freedoms.
The job is not yet complete! The common distractions leading people away from real democracy has not ended. There are still people in power or who want power who would take away those rights.
On November 16, 2022, 246 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state said it best after the midterm election, “2022 was about selecting the team that will be on the field in 2024 to protect and defend democracy.”
The foundation of democracy is worth fighting for, but not a physical fight nor hurling threats or physical attacks against those who have different ideas or points of view.
Today, the existence of democracy and the fight for democracy in America is a non-stop work in progress. Democracy has not yet been perfected! The fight continues… as an example for other nations.
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