I really wasn't sure if I was going to do the A to Z this year and I didn't do a theme reveal. I don't know if you remember but last year at this time I had to stop after the letter D to take care of my MIL. This year I don't have any big life things going on until next month when hubby and I go on our first cruise...(maybe I'll do an A to Z on that sometime!). I haven't been blogging much at all lately but I do still have all the info I gathered for last year so maybe I will give it a shot. If I make it past the letter D, I'll consider it a win. Here we go.
My theme is Democracy and I am taking the basis from the speech given by House Representative Hakeem Jeffries when opening the 218th congress in 2023. I will admit that I have lost a little of my admiration for Rep. Jeffries as I think that he and Senator Schumer could/should do more to try to prevent the awful things that are happening to our country and at the same time, I realize that there isn't much they can do given that they are the minority, for now.
As I begin, 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. Marjorie Taylor Greene doesn't count. Too little, too late in my opinion.
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 cruising. 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.
In the year since I wrote that, look how much closer we have gotten to the autocracy side of things and farther away from the American Values side!
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!
DeleteHi, Janet!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on entering the A to Z again this year with a goal of finishing what you started a year ago before family obligations pulled you away. I was looking for your post all day today and it still has not appeared in my reader stream. I'm glad I went hunting and found it. While I do not intend on writing long essays as I did last year, I will be here to support you as you get rolling with your A, B and C posts. I will then return at the end of the month to help you close this year's event.
It strikes me how much worse things are in this country now than they were a year ago when you were compelled to choose this theme. Heaven help us if we can't stop this runaway freight train with sweeping midterm election victories. While it seems like we are headed for a blue wave or even a blue tsunami, I have seen this movie before. We get our hopes up and think we've got a sure thing, but a bitter disappointment awaits. Aside from a free and fair election, we also need all hands on deck, organizing and getting out the vote. Every election in the Trump era has been the most important and most consequential to date, and this one coming in November will truly be the most urgent of all. It is absolutely crucial for democrats to prevail and regain control of congress if our democracy has any hope of surviving. The last thing we need is an administration emboldened even more than it already is, declaring another mandate and poised to carry out even greater atrocities than those that have already been committed.
Say their names: Renée - Alex.
Thanks for stopping by my friend! I think you are right about the urgency of this vote in November. We in California have a huge problem if some of the many dems who are running don't drop out. If the vote gets split between them, we could end up with just two repubs running! I appreciate any time you are able to stop by. I'm on my way to your place now!
DeleteYou picked a great theme! Timely. My brother is the black sheep of my family, and I believe he must be feeling embarrassment or regret over his vote, as I don't hear from him much at all any more! Afraid I'll bring things up? I live in OR now, but come from a long line of San Francisco area Democrats. My county now is rather too pink.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa. I haven't spoken to my sister or niece for quite a while either other than birthday or holiday quick greetings. It is kind of sad because we were close but when she started talking about "her beloved Donald" I knew I couldn't take it anymore.
DeleteGlad to see you here Janet. I do hope you get past D
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy! Me too.
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