America, we are living at the base of our Berlin Wall, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
This is the season to speak our voices of reason, step firmly into action, testify, occupy and actualize our Dream of a United America, a “Loving America.”
We need an evolving America to reach out to the True Hand of America, not handouts, but hand ups to a greater and better America and then down would fall our Modern Berlin Wall or any Wall of Mexico, mentioned by presidential candidate Donald Trump. We are diving into the ocean of hate and anger with statements that create fires with no water in sight. We are living in an erupting volcano. It will soon explode and we will rise from the ashes and the echoes of freedom will be heard. I am standing with America.
Too many of us as fellow Americans are deep in disgust at the politics at hand. We are seeing the worst of America in our daily news. In this day and time, we are watching a man threatening his opponent with jail and worse. And, we are a democracy. In a true democracy, when you are the losing party, you agree to lose without having actions causing coups or assassinations.
We agreed to peacefully go into the new year and its electoral results, to plan for the upcoming election in four years. Democracy is an attempt to live in a just and loving society with checks and balances within the government. It is a delicate balance of the elements of power.
According to political scientist Larry Diamond, democracy consists of four key elements:
- A political system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections;
- The active participation of the people, as citizens, in politics and civic life;
- Protection of the human rights of all citizens, and
- A rule of law, in which the laws and procedures apply equally to all citizens.
Historically, it is unprecedented to have a presidential candidate lambaste almost every segment of the society, women, gays, people of color, the disabled and non-Christian religions. It is a world to benefit white America, and specifically white males in power. It is pandering to a small segment of the society to be in power, with all other people existing as modern slaves. This is not a democracy. Democracy contrasts with forms of government where power is either held by an individual, as in an absolute monarchy, or where power is held by a small number of individuals, as in an oligarchy.
What I am seeing within the Donald Trump campaign are dictatorial calls to his followers to seek revenge on Hillary or anyone, person, place or thing that is in opposition to him or his plans of action, all is done in the manner of a dictator. He, to my thinking, is operating within the realms of a tyrant. It is his way or the highway. Karl Popper defined democracy in contrast to dictatorship or tyranny, thus focusing on opportunities for the people to control their leaders and to oust them without a need for a revolution. So, his call for violent revolution does not imply we are exercising the rules of a democracy.
“Donald Trump regularly incites political violence, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims- 1.6 billion members of an entire religion- from entering the U.S.” Sam Levine- Huntington Post
The division caused by his campaign is a reminder of the Berlin Wall, a country divided by opposing ideas and unwillingness to compromise. No matter which side wins, we have the bitter truths, for so long, held within.
It is a war of perceived rights. The ugliness our democracy will be challenged by the releasing of the chains for a quest of power. The power belongs to the people, but the people must be united, in order to have a functional democracy. We will not erect walls for Mexico or build our own American Berlin Wall, not if we are a true democracy. In our democracy, all citizens have equal rights and those rights are protected by law.
We have to find the understanding of the spirit of the law, which is another way of saying, a way of seeing life’s situations with a compassionate and loving, open heart. Being compassionate is the ability to see the other person’s point of view. It doesn’t mean you are in agreement, but you can allow the conversation to occur. The healing will come, in dialogues of compassion. It will be our hardest and most beneficial work we can do as Americans, in this modern age.