February 2, 2020, Groundhog Day, will be staring Punxsutawney Phil, internationally known weatherman, but Monday, February 3, who will star in the Iowa Caucus for the Democrats and cast a shadow? Placing in Iowa is a difficult task; considering a candidate must poll at 15% in the gym, church, café, or library caucus locations in order to receive any consideration. Otherwise, the minority may choose to join another candidate, or simply go home, sadly defeated. A pure form of a People’s Republic in action, swaying and persuading their neighbors, face to face, with voice inflection, and emotional body language for their core beliefs. Will the Yang Gang flock to the umbrella of Bernie, or Amy’s voters to Biden, riding the “No Malarkey,” bus tour, waiting for Phil’s prediction. The Founding Fathers organized in taverns, drank and talked policy, taxes, and land. Iowa is unique, but so is New Hampshire, where all voters, (Regardless of party affiliation) may participate in the Democratic primary. Voting is a right that is not exercised, often repeated from the disenfranchised, “My vote doesn’t count!”
What’s the difference between a Democracy and a Republic? A Republic is defined as, a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch. A Democracy, 1a: government by the people especially: rule of the majority. b: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. 2: a political unit that has a democratic government.
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands,” Republic, with its Greek meaning, “Rights of citizens,” and Latin, “Public affair,” the form of government with power resting in the hands of the people. But why has the ideology of Democracy lost traction with participation down to 58% to 61% in 2016 elections, out of 250 million voting age Americans?
The youth in me remembers the, “Vote or Die,” campaign. When I had ambitions of a political career, I figured a voting platform was something worth exploring after the debacle of Gore V. Bush. Take a trip with me to the year 2000, 20 yrs. old, skateboarding out front of my house, in baggy kakis, vans, and an Adidas hoodie, my aunt pulled through and causally rolled her BMW window down, and said, “Steven, vote Republican.” “Why would I want to vote after what I just saw unfold,” I responded in young angst, left foot holding down the tail of my Maple deck. I was disenfranchised immediately!
During my school years, I enjoyed history and government with such a zeal for more understanding. Always questioning every little thing, the kid, American, or rebel in me, wanted answers to those why and how come questions. The Founding Fathers spoke to me loudly on a bull horn through the Declaration of Independence, “John Hancock,” in the face of tyrants and injustices these men said enough, to the most feared army in the world! With the help of the French in 1781, Washington and Comte de Rochambeau, French Commander-in-Chief, defeated Charles Cornwallis in Yorktown, thanks to French naval blockade, thwarting escape that October week. Recognized as an independent nation, September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris, is something worth voting for!
Our national anthem was written under imprisonment of sorts during the War of 1812, (Revolution 2, Hijacking the High Seas), a dinner party on British ship, HMS Tonnant, Key tried to negotiate the release of colonists, but the British saw their advantage. Shelling of Fort McHenry ensued and Key was forced to sit idle while, “The bombs bursting in air,” in Baltimore harbor, putting pen to paper, bonding Americans through, a “Star Spangled Banner,” for the next 200 years. This is something worth voting for!
A lesson repeated over and over, no nation building, mind your business, and reinforced through the first President, who set the standard 2 term limit, on his farewell address, September 19, 1796, “’Tis our true policy to steer clear of permanent Alliances, with any portion of the foreign world.” Something that was repeated by W., until the presidential limo was egged on January 21, 2001, Inauguration Day, with protesters holding signs that read, “Hail to the thief,” after nobody knew who won the election, “Only in Florida.” Big government, Homeland Security, nation building, (Iraq) and the Patriot Act, ensued. This was not the will of the people; instead Project for a New American Century, was put into live play. My father, who was drafted in Vietnam, told me, “I don’t want you fighting poor people on the other side of the world.” Since the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, Midwestern voters have lost manufacturing jobs, sons and daughters to war, the opioid epidemic, and overall standard of living; lost faith in their political parties and representatives ensued. In 2016, to quote Michael Moore, “It’s why every beaten down, forgotten, nameless stiff who used to be part of what was called the ‘middle class’ loves Trump. He is the human Molotov Cocktail they’ve been waiting for. The human hand grenade they can legally throw at the system which stole their lives from them.”
People, American voters, or our enemy’s citizens; don’t want death, hunger, disease, and occupation. So why is it always on the voting ballot, and if we support it or not, it seems to be green lit regardless, in the name of protecting the homeland. I’m not waving a white surrender flag here, but as I told the recruiter who called me at 18, “Hey Steven, What’s up buddy,” echoed through the pink rotary phone in my sister’s room, “Who’s this,” I questioned not placing the man’s voice. He hit me with the pitch, but I responded, remembering the words of father’s before, “If my nation is invaded, I’ll pick up arms and defend it,” when you’re driving a Lamborghini, all you have to do is step on the gas, no need 9 out of 10 times if the rest of the world is driving a beat Tacoma.
I guess this may be why most people just disconnect. They can only control what they can control, struggling through mortgage payments, credit card debt, student loans, trying to figure out dinner for the family. And, after a hard day of struggle, we ask of them to go out of their way to vote and do the moral duty, of citizenship in the best country in the world. What kind of solutions can heal this massive disconnect between the public and the Founders?
I believe Andrew Yang, along with Mitch McConnell; have called for Election Day to be a National Holiday. I mean, shit, we have a holiday for a groundhog! But voter suppression has always been a well-played card in the two major parties, drawing up districts, state laws, or long lines. I recently felt this slight, when I moved to an original 13, North Carolina. Switching my DL was a pain, because they have 2 DMV’s, one for DL, and a subcontracted business for plates. Anyway, I got my voter registration done, only to get a letter that stated, “Your signature is not legible,” infringing on my rights to express political substance in a voting both; but on par with driving privileges. How is it possible that we have not all figured a way to vote the same, every time, and had enough of this bullshit!
“Can I get an App,” Spreading Democracy in the Republic, united we stand, together, stars and stripes on both our backs, from Jimi to FDR, should be a simple task for Silicon Valley. The leader in Block Chain, A.I., and software can’t connect us all on one November day? Come on, unacceptable for the #1 ranked Country in the world for tech and freedom. A step in the right direction may be “Democracy Dollars,” giving every voter $100 a year to donate to their political party; washing out corporate money and shortening the election cycle, oh, that’s more efficient. Only 5% of the public contributes to political campaigns. Again, it’s not enough, the average person is not upset enough to participate. I say get upset, get pissed, go out, and voice your opinion. Be heard in person. I once read, a problem or situation is not that bad once you report in person, wouldn’t you agree?
With data at our finger tips, voting has become much more thoughtful. I remember voting in Florida, 2004, and searching all the initiatives. You can find out rather quickly, (30 minutes), who is for what, how much money they have raised, party affiliation, past job, and so on. I didn’t always vote along party lines once I had read platforms. This is something that hasn’t been available to the average American until recently, giving us more purchasing power, so to speak, and the question, “Does my vote count,” withers with more engagement and capital.
After Florida 2000, Diebold machines, and Scan Tron 2016, I think it counts. I mean who would’ve thought Trump would win, only Michael Moore. Trump didn’t believe it! People are upset with the status quo. Who can predict November through Iowa and New Hampshire winter bus tours, town halls, and ultimately, caucuses and voting booths; will the establishment win or the people be heard? Will another billionaire’s money TV blitz, make an impact, or can the only candidate of color finally be heard, after he was cut from the Iowa debate stage, then qualifying for the New Hampshire debate, once the DNC took polls?
Iowa is expecting massive turnout this year! 4 years ago, we saw what was possible, Trump shattered a glass ceiling, love or hate him; he opened possibilities. We can be counted, if we stand tall. The history that we inhale and exhale, bleed, and love; is red, white, and blue, from sea to shining sea. The Boston Tea Party revolt and the healing April 9, at Appomattox Court House, to the belief in Manifest Destiney, through The Great Depression and New Deal, birthed the American Spirit.
As Reagan stated, “I’ve spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don’t know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That’s how I saw it, and see it still.”
Obama said as a senator, “It was right here, in the waters around us, where the American experiment began. As the earliest settlers arrived on the shores of Boston and Salem and Plymouth, they dreamed of building a City upon a Hill. And the world watched, waiting to see if this improbable idea called America would succeed.”
We forget the uniqueness America is, an experiment, with the oldest constitution in the world. Our birthright or earned citizenship brings honor and duty. Our countrymen have bled over injustice and restored unalienable rights, endowed from their creator. Presidents have graciously transferred power to their successor, with dignity and grace, as a statesman; the rest of the world thought we weren’t capable.
Both men saw the same vision, even though they disagreed how to arrive at the promise land, a utopia. America is an amazing idea and if we participate, so are we. The Republic was built on compromise and I think we have much more in common than we think. Engage your neighbors, co-workers, and family with ideas, debate, conversation, but in the end; know that we all strive for the same finish line, the same shining destination, a strong free Republic, uniting people, land, ideas, and freedom, to form a paradise in the New World. Stand up like our Forefather’s did in the face of inequalities, crossing the Delaware, forming a union, sustaining it, and leading the free world.
Save the Republic, vote!
