What Type of Country Do Americans Want?

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

In schools, at civic events, and at other ceremonies across this land, this pledge to the flag of America is recited week after week. But I wonder, do those reciting these words really believe them? Do they stand behind the words ‘with liberty and justice for all’? Do we have an indivisible nation? Do we have a republic, still? How does a republic differ from a democracy?

According to “How Stuff Works”: The terms republic and democracy are often used interchangeably to indicate that power is invested in the people and exercised by these people or their elected representatives. The American style of democracy is called the Presidential Model, since certain powers are reserved for the president. The United States relies on a balance of power between three equal branches of government, the Executive, the Judicial, and the Legislative. It also relies on a participatory democracy where the people speak up with their right to vote; the right to vote must, therefore, not be restricted. The government must operate in the open and be transparent and rely on the Rule of Law that is respected by the citizenry. The press must be free to report on the operations of the government. The website also notes:

“Whether it’s a presidential or parliamentary system, what makes a modern democracy a true democracy is faithful adherence to a set of democratic principles: the rule of law (constitutionalism), representation based on free and fair elections, and guaranteed rights including freedom of speech, press, and religion. By that measure, some countries are democracies in name, but not in practice.”

So, do Americans really want this democracy? Currently, some states are working to stop the rights of women to make health decisions about their bodies. Do we really want to arrest women who miscarry or have ectopic (tubal) pregnancies? In some states, officials are working hard to remove legally registered voters from the voting lists on minor technicalities. Still others are trying to undo elections that were settled and certified over two years ago. Some groups are working to ban books that discuss other cultures or races, while some are trying to restrict teachers from mentioning multi-culturalism, slavery, or civil rights marches. Where does free speech fit into these practices?

An evangelical preacher in Tennessee, in a sermon that has gone viral, demanded that Democrats leave his church, and stated that they were demons! Gee, I wonder if he will lose his tax exemption concerning the separation of church and state-probably not, but you see my point. I seem to remember sermons about Christianity that spoke of brotherly love and called all men and women God’s children. Has a new gospel been written for Christians? Was America truly founded only for Christians? Is White Christian Nationalism our future? I hope not.

Is the premise to allow free speech for some, but not others? Who, then, gets to decide? A group of conservative Americans The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), including the MAGA crowd, DJT himself, and the puppets from Fox News, all appeared at their periodic conference, held in Hungary this week (some by video) where they bowed to the authoritarianism of President Viktor Orban. This elected leader, who is actually an autocrat, has been wowing these conservatives with his White Christian Nationalism and disdain for any who would disagree. He deported Muslim immigrants and brought laws against gay citizens; he promoted voting tourism and allowed white non-citizens to vote, as long as they voted his way. He employed fake opponents to defuse any real opposition. The theme of the conference is God, Homeland, and Family. In a speech at the conference, Orban railed against critical race theory, free and open media, cancel culture, and woke theory. Where have we heard those refrains before? Oh yes, in Republican speeches across our country, especially in Florida and Texas, it seems.

Previously, the New York Times reported on Orban and his manipulation of election districts and laws to fit his plans. Orban has been in power since his election in 2010 and as reported here he has consolidated his power by eroding election norms, cementing one-party rule, containing the press and media outlets, rewriting the Constitution, and using state-run media to demonize his opponents.

In 2018, Vox wrote: “An unending drumbeat of propaganda, from both official state outlets and the private media empires of Orbán allies, demonizes refugees and Muslims, warning of an existential threat to Hungarian society and culture — and touting the Orbán regime as the only thing protecting the country from an Islamic takeover. This trumped-up crisis serves as a legitimation tool for Fidesz’s {Orban’s party’s name} authoritarianism, a pretext for the government to pass laws undermining its opponents.”

Does the phrase “only I can save you” sound familiar?

Vox continues: “One of the most disconcerting parts of observing Hungarian soft fascism up close is that it’s easy to imagine the model being exported. While the Orbán regime grew out of Hungary’s unique history and political culture, its playbook for subtle repression could, in theory, be run in any democratic country whose leaders have had enough of the political opposition.

It’s not for nothing that Steve Bannon, who has called Orbán “the most significant guy on the scene right now,” is currently in Europe building an organization — called “the Movement” — aimed at spreading Orbán’s populist politics across the continent.”

If you remember back to the campaign of 2020, in speaking to his MAGA crowds, DJT, at times, indicated he expected to win then and maybe even another term after that, regardless of what our laws state. (The 22^nd Amendment to the Constitution states in part “that no person shall be elected to the Presidency for more than two terms”, so I do not know how he intended to get around that rule, but I would guess that Bannon and his ilk are working on that goal.)

This weekend saw the citizens of Buffalo start to bury their dead after the horrific hate killings at the Topps Grocery last week. My heart goes out to those who were targeted, solely because of their skin color. Can’t we move past this somehow?

An 18-year-old white teenager, clad in body armor and armed with illegally modified semi-automatic weapons, opened fire at innocent shoppers at the grocery in the mostly black neighborhood. In a rambling manifesto published on an extremist website, the teen claimed to be a white supremacist who wanted to stop the takeover of America by minorities or, as touted by many racists, Replacement Theory. Republicans, echoed by Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson, have been spouting this theory in recent years as America becomes browner and some have theorized that White Americans will be in the minority by mid-century as the nation diversifies.

According to the Guardian, since the shooting, Fox News has gone quiet on this issue and has barely mentioned the shooters’ stated motivation for his massacre. False claims are being made that immigrants are being brought to this country with a political agenda to distill the “white” population, that has long been the majority. White citizens are being told that they will lose their rights unless they fight back.

Many white supremacists blame the Jews for increased immigration and include anti-Semitism in their propaganda. But, when one goes back to the adulation for Orban, the Republican Party is tied to these theories and, even in the wake of the attacks in Buffalo, has not disavowed them. For the white supremacists who see only skin color and not the soul beneath it, their need to feel superior is based on their inability to see others as sharing the same humanity. To those who follow theories of a necessary white majority, aborting white babies are a threat to white majorities, interracial marriage remains a threat to whites, as well as the presence of integrated communities. It seems preposterous to me that some believe such propaganda.

It all hangs together though, doesn’t it? If you don’t teach about slavery and civil rights and then try to confine black people to their neighborhoods (did anyone say ghettos here?) then no one has to provide any special rights to that community, so equal opportunities may be disregarded. If you do not allow the gay community to have rights, marry and adopt children, then you will shove many back into the closeted life they once had. Is that where we are headed after generations have fought for freedoms and so many have lost their lives? Is this the America that you want to promote? Do we want to see repeats of the marches in Charlottesville, the shootings in El Paso, at Pulse, Pittsburgh and Buffalo continue without condemnation?

What kind of America do you want to live in? Stand up, Speak out, and Vote! There is an opportunity in Pennsylvania to choose a Democratic Governor in Josh Shapiro and a Democratic Senator in John Fetterman and defeat the acolytes of the right who would overturn elections and disenfranchise voters. In state after state, the standards are becoming clear and voters can choose to move the country forward or take us back one hundred years. Do we truly want a democracy?

INFO -The current demographics in the US according to the census are:

Whites 76.3% or (60%), Blacks, 13.8%, Hispanic or Latino, 18.5%, Asian, 5.9%, Native American or Pacific Islander, 1.3% (Since some Hispanics identify as white-that number may vary; others may list as multi-racial so the numbers are inexact and do not equal 100%.) But basically, the numbers show we are a multi-racial country and are likely to remain so, just the statistics will change,

Briefly, in COVID news from the NY Times, cases of the latest variants are continuing to rise and hospitalizations, which have remained flat, are also increasing. Daily totals are again over 100,00 at 108,065, the highest since the beginning of the year. Deaths remain steady at around 300 per day.

In Maryland, numbers are also climbing with Frederick and Montgomery Counties getting a moderate risk label this week and indoor mask warnings reissued. The state is averaging over 2200 cases per day, despite improving vaccination rates. Stay safe out there, folks!

Before I close, a shout out to Tom Perez who won the endorsement of the Washington Post for Governor of Maryland-way to go, Tom! (Disclosure-I do support his candidacy.)

‘Til next week-Peace, maybe it is possible!