There was a time when coal miners would take a caged canary with them to work to detect toxic gasses. The canary’s illness or death signaled a potentially fatal situation and served as a call to action for the miners to exit and return to safety above ground.
The expression, “canary in the coal mine” now refers to an early indicator of potential danger or failure. If the “canary” shows signs of illness or is near death, then it’s time to act or face dire consequences. So, just for the sake of it, let’s name the canary “Our Democracy” and evaluate its current state of health.
If healthy, “Our Democracy” values people over the power of a single leader, freedoms over suppressions, an open government with checks and balances over decisions made by one leader, and accountability via a free press.
According to the Economist, “Our Democracy” has dropped in ranking from a “full democracy” to a “flawed democracy”. Experts agree that “Our Democracy” declined significantly during the Trump years, specifically in the areas of executive overreach and freedom and fairness of elections. In addition, “Our Democracy’s” wings were clipped by that administration’s extreme efforts to erode our civil service, dismantle non-governmental institutions, and leave positions vacant or make appointments that were the antithesis to the purpose of a department. All are signs of a decline in “Our Democracy”.
The death of “Our Democracy” is a slow, painful, and steady process. Over time, it wears us down and normalizes the abnormal. Political scientists, Ziblatt and Levitsky, refer to it as a dangerously deceptive breakdown. “People still vote and elected autocrats maintain a veneer of democracy while eviscerating its substance.”
Let’s be clear. Trump is an attacker of “Our Democracy”. His disgrace was his refusal to concede after losing the election, subverting the vote counting and certification process, and stoking the January 6th Coup. Yes, call it what it was, a COUP. As a nation, we can’t forget this. If re-elected, he plans to gut “Our Democracy”; it will die in the toxicity of his Project 2025 and we will become an authoritarian regime.
We all know that “Our Democracy” isn’t perfect, but it is worth saving. Its health and longevity depend on a combination of factors including institutional strength, ethical leadership, and citizen participation. Voters have the power to elect ethical leaders, ones who will preserve and fortify “Our Democracy”. Use your power on November 5th.
Rhonda Fibiger
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