One thing I've learned in many decades of living is that you no sooner get stuff fixed in a democracy and someone comes along and breaks it again. It is a perpetual cycle.I recently heard a young person criticizing boomers for leaving him with a mess of stuff that needed fixing and he blamed them for allowing them to be broken. Sorry, young man, many of us boomers and earlier generations worked our asses off fixing broken stuff. In my lifetime, civil rights and voting rights. Segregated schools. Choice for women and families. Terrible, dumb wars with no purpose. Humane treatment of immigrants. The right to collectively bargain for decent wages and benefits. We even thought we had fixed hate and discrimination at least to some extent with the election of our first Black President.
But, here we are today. Having to fix this stuff all over again. And the breakage seemed to occur with lightening speed. And the repair work ahead is likely to last for generations. That is because, some of us got lazy; some got smug that the job was done. Others of us thought no one would have the indecency to fuck things up and retract progress. Some of us thought holding out our vote for good but not perfect people was okay. Others of us thought that just voting, but not working in our communities was enough. Some of us thought that as long as we concentrated on our own families, that would be enough and was our only duty.
Sorry, that strategy didn't work out for you. You complained, but didn't act to engage in the actual repair work in a timely way. You and your families, some of you. may be okay through the breaking things phase. But you have a duty, in a democracy, to care about and care for others not so fortunate. And pitch in to help them. It starts with caring about them and the democracy that has served you well for a good part of your lifetime.
It is time for you who watched the breakage but did not act with those of us, not enough of us, to start the repair work while the breakage was fresh, to now get off your asses and lend a hand. You can do something. Everyone has some capacity to do something.
Help a democracy appreciating candidate. Volunteer in your community. Join reform groups doing their work. Run for office. Preach the gospel of repair work. Write stuff. Send letters. Blog. Send money if nothing else. And encourage others to join with you in fixing broken things. Just voting has proven to be not enough. Sorry, I know it means extra work, more hours not fishing or golfing.
Now get a move on. This is really serious. A dangerous time for democracy. It is not too late if enough of us give a shit. Act. Now.
Oh, and you people breaking stuff, sorry, but fuck you.
