First of all let me get this out of the way...I am a Democrat but MORE IMPORTANTLY, I am a firm believer in democracy and the rule of law. If there was a Republican who was doing something good for our country, stood for something closer to my beliefs than a Democrat running for the same office, I might vote for the Republican. So far I am not seeing any of that. With the exception of Liz Chaney and Adam Kinzinger who both chose country over party, I can't think of another Republican who was willing to turn his back on the dysfunctional group we have in control right now.
That being said, this is your trigger warning. If you are going to be bothered by my descriptions of what I believe America should look and feel like, please stop reading and come back next year when my topic may go back to music or scrapbooking or interesting tidbits. Please respect my space and DO NOT leave disinformation or inflammatory statements in the comments. It's my blog and I will delete them. Thanks for your cooperation.
Here we go then.
American Values | Autocracy |
Community Independence Right to make our own choices Equality Rule of Law | Centralized power Strict control Unquestioning obedience Limited participation One person rule |
It seems like common sense to me that a person would want to be able to make their own choices and live their life without having someone tell them what to do every step of the way or restricting access to things. Other than when raising a child, and even then most of the time it is a shared experience, I can't think of any reason for one person to have total control over someone else. Even with parenting there comes a point where the child should be able to make some of their own choices, as long as it will not hurt them or others. I can remember letting my daughter choose her own outfits for school even though a) they were not things that I felt would go together or b) she was without a jacket when I thought it was a little chilly. If it made her feel good to dress this way then she would be more apt to able to focus on learning.
We should be able to question the people governing us and to express our opinions without fear of being retaliated against. We should have the ability to choose our leaders and hold them accountable when their decisions are detrimental to our country and safety. We should be able to read whatever books we want, practice religion or not and love who we want.
Live and let live is my core value. It is not my business to tell you how to live your life and no one's business to tell me how to live mine. I believe we can be stronger as a community if we share our ideas and cooperate together. We may have different beliefs or ideas but mine are not necessarily better than yours and vice versa. Our uniqueness is what gives us strength when we work together.
As I said in my theme reveal, these contrasts have been taken from the speech given by House Representative Hakeem Jeffries when opening the 218th congress in 2023.
One down, 25 to go. Happy April Fool's Day!
Hi, Janet!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on throwing your hat in the ring and participating in the 2025 A to Z Challenge, dear friend! I admire you for choosing this particular topic. Like the push-back protests that are currently erupting on the streets and in town halls across America, and Sen. Cory Booker's marathon speech, your 26-part series on Democracy from A to Z reflects the gravity of the crisis we are in and the urgency for those of us who care about preserving it to take stock, take action and take back our country before we lose it for good.
I am having a great deal of difficulty comprehending how any sane person could reject your list of American Values and prefer Autocracy. Is this what generations of service men and women in our nation's military fought and died for - so that we could just chuck it all? In their speeches, old school political leaders like President Joe Biden often stated that they believe in the "inherent goodness of the American people." I once believed that, but now, in 2025, I am having serious doubts. Using the catchphrase "Make America Great Again," millions of people, from leaders on down, have hardened their hearts and abandoned their principles and human decency. They have turned their backs on the weak, the sick and the marginalized of our society and embraced a man and a movement that serves the wealthiest among us. They are under the influence of a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week media propaganda machine that engages in fearmongering, gaslighting, both-sidesism, misinformation and disinformation and endorses retribution against perceived enemies, including anyone who simply dares to disagree. It is a nightmare scenario that seems like the script of a horror film set in the distant future. Yet, it is real and it is happening right now. This is not the America I grew up in. We, as a people, are better than this. We have to be, or all is lost. Ours is a big tent, and I believe that we must extend a sincere and open invitation to all reasonable people in the hope that they will join us, establish a dialogue, seek common ground and work with us to find solutions.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Again, thank you, dear friend Janet, for showing courage and shedding light. Best wishes for an informative and highly successful A to Z Challenge!
Thanks so much my friend. I really believe that we need to do something now before it is too late. I am not interested in running for office but I do want to participate in any way I can. I know the Dems are not perfect, but we're not cruel and that's what gets me most about those other guys. Anyway, as always your insights and thoughtful comments are much appreciated! How about that Cory Booker!
DeleteThanks, Janet! Your lists make the contrast between American values and autocracy very clear.
ReplyDeleteI'm gaining inspiration, hope, and catharsis through Senator Booker's long speech, and the Democrats who are giving him breaks with extended questions. I hope that helps for you, too.
Wasn't that amazing? No bathroom breaks and hasn't eaten since Friday!
DeleteGreat start Janet. I hope you don't have too many problems with awkward comments. I just checked out the Senator Booker story and see he broke the record for the longest speech. No way I could do that without bathroom breaks or snacks!
ReplyDeleteSuch commitment! He fasted and dehydrated himself so he could last that long. So grateful to him. Hope it really wakes some folks up!
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