What Democracy Looks Like

I try, in a general way, not to get too political. Certainly there are things I believe are right, like the Rule of Law or respecting human dignity, and I write about those when timely. But politics itself is too divisive. Anyone who agrees with me will nod their heads, smile, and go on thinking what they thought before. Anyone who disagrees with me will shake their heads, frown, and go on thinking what they thought before. If the movements of heads were the ultimate goal, then there would be a point to posting more about politics. But it's not, and so there isn't.

Even today, when I am going to post about the No Kings protest in Denver, I don't consider this a political blog post. But I'm sure many people would say that's exactly what it is. But for me, it is more about feeling a little bit less powerless. This is not to say I feel powerful or even empowered. Rather, I feel power-minimal without being completely powerless.

Today we attended the No Kings protest in Denver with my brother and his girlfriend. I have to say it was heartening. There were thousands of people in downtown Denver, filling the lawns from the State Capitol Building to the civic government buildings and an entire park in between. While those throngs of people had a variety of methods to express their frustrations, and probably different lists of what specifically frustrates them, at the core we were all in agreement: The current course that the United States is taking is disturbing.

Just one view of one tiny piece of the crowds

For some it is extrajudicial arrests and deportations. For some it is taking away legal status for those who followed the rules. For some it is denying equal protections under the law to all our citizens regardless of color, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. For some it is impractical and chaotic economic policies. For some it is a huge increase in debt. For some it is using the military to intimidate protestors or take on law enforcement roles. There is plenty to choose from. But ultimately, there are a lot of things going on in America today that point toward authoritarianism, autocracy, and the erosion of democratic principles. Personally, I feel that many who took an oath to uphold the Constitution are not upholding the Constitution. And if the rule of law withers away, then everything goes with it. Without the rule of law, no one has rights, just privileges that can be revoked at any time.

Is that political? I would argue no. But there's no point in arguing about it here. Let me get back to the powerlessness topic.

When Alrica and I are traveling, we are somewhat removed from the day to day happenings in the United States. Of course, we read the news. We see what is going on in articles and pictures and videos. But we only live with the results of those actions in a secondary way. As such, there's little we can do about it. Yes, we've written to our Congressman and Senators, but nothing changed. No Congressman says, "Wow, now that I have read Erich's opinion, my entire worldview is altered." (Much the same as anyone reading this blog not finding a major paradigm shift in their outlook.)

I feel powerless. I see things changing in America (albeit from afar) and there's nothing I can do. I can't support the changes I agree with. I can't rally against the changes I disagree with. I could post more about those things in my blog, but my readership is several orders of magnitude short of the critical mass required to make much difference. That's okay, I am not looking to become an "influencer." But it does leave me feeling impotent to quell the tides of what comes across to me as authoritarianism.

Then there came today. We happen to be in America when something major is happening. So I did something. Yes, taking the broader view, I did basically nothing. I walked a few miles around downtown Denver in a huge stream of pedestrians. I carried a sign that read "Uphold the Constitution" in the middle of people with far more creative (and often far less civil) slogans. In the grand scheme of world events, my actions today will not tip any scales, nor make any scales fall off of eyes. (I'm not sure those are the same kinds of scales even.)

Making posters with Adam, Alrica, and Laura (at the camera)

And yet, today was heartening. There were thousands of people at the protest. Thousands of them, everywhere I turned. Thousands of people feeling something akin to what I feel. Thousands of people, just as powerless as me, but coming together in numbers that make our powerlessness palpable. (Side note: My daughter recently told me that "palpable" is a word that neither she nor anyone else in her generation would ever use. Why? What's wrong with palpable?)

If you multiply zero by ten-thousand, you still have zero. But if you take even a negligible positive amount and multiply it by ten-thousand, you may start to get something that isn't negligible. Take the thousands of people in Denver today making their voices heard. Literally, there were chants. One of them was perhaps most telling. Caller: "Tell me what democracy looks like." Response: "This is what democracy looks like!"

This was what democracy looks like. And that was just in Denver where our numbers made the negligible into something non-negligible. Now consider similar protests in so many other American cities, large and small. That tiny positive number is getting multiplied and multiplied. And maybe, if dreams do come true, it will wake the sleeping consciences of our elected officials. Maybe some of them will realize that people care about this. Not just any people, but the very people they are supposed to be representing. Maybe they will make some decisions not because of what other elected officials tell them to do, not because all they care about is their own re-elections, but because they want to do what is best for those people, their constituents, and the country as a whole.

Maybe not. Time will tell. But what I do know is that, for a few walking miles, for a few hours, in the midst of a lot of people, I didn't feel entirely unable to effect change. And I am very comforted to know there are so many others out there who came together and had the same experience.

I may be powerless. But I'm not alone.