U.S. RESIST NEWS PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY

U.S. Resist News Op Ed. | By: U.S. Resist News | April 2023

Header photo taken from: theguardian.com

Democracy in the United States is under attack. Donald Trump demonstrated that you could be President and yet disregard the political and legal norms and values that made the US a symbol of what it means to be a democratic country. He politicized the justice system, showed disregard for the rule of law, and refused to accept the results of a free and fair Presidential election. Trump unleashed a wave of democracy disrespect by his followers that climaxed in the January 6th  insurrection attack on our nation’s capital.

And now, although Trump is out of office and faces criminal indictments, the threat to our democracy remains.  A significant but so far minority group of our citizens lacks the understanding of democracy’s importance. In the face of this threat there is a concerted effort to reaffirm and strengthen our democratic system by those of us who believe it is still the best from of governance.  U.S. RESIST NEWS supports this effort, and believes it should be guided by the following list of principles.

• We live in a culturally diverse, multi-ethnic and racial society where everyone has the same political and legal rights.

• Everyone in our country is subject to the Rule of Law, even movie stars, and porn stars, and billionaires, and Presidents.

• Our system runs on free and fair elections that periodically and routinely take place providing accountability for existing leaders and opportunities for those who want to serve in leadership roles.

• We vote for policies that support our rights and opportunities and for the integrity, intelligence and compassion of those who want to lead us.

• Those who run for political office respect their opponent’s points of view and honor the peaceful transfer of power regardless of whether they win or lose.

• We place a cap on the use of money in politics so as to limit the influence of money on political campaigns and outcomes.

• We value the separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government; with each branch having a distinct role that enables them  to co-exist and  exercise checks and balances with each other

• We respect the roles played by the media and civil society as organizations that help hold our politicians accountable, inform us about the issues, and serve as a voice of advocacy for our citizens

• Our democracy can’t exist and flourish with large income inequalities between members of society.

• We need to have an educated and informed citizenry for a healthy democracy.

This list of democratic principles is most likely incomplete, and we welcome suggestions from our readers and subscriber for additions to this list (Please send suggestions to our Managing Editor: roncisrael@gmail.com.

It is important to never lose sight of the principles of our democracy. They are the basis for the freedoms we enjoy and the debates and conversations needed to draft and support our public policies.