Americans Standing Idle While Democracy Dies at our Feet

 

Please allow me to begin with a phrase that we all have heard and many repeated over time, HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF, yet utilizing another phrase many may have heard but seldom repeated In God is speaking about rebellious people. “They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear” (Ezekiel 12:2).

Today we consider the influence of Donald J. Trump in reference to his ability to lead the MAGA-Republicans in a take over of the Republican Party.  Many are surprised by this and have been asking how it happened and what does it mean for the democracy of these United States, but truth be told, this evolution is not surprising and should have been expected since history does repeats itself and many of us have eyes but do not see and ears but do not hear.

The dye was casted when the Whig Party, “a conservative political party that existed in the United States during the mid-19th century and joined the Democratic Party to become one of the two major parties in the United States between the late 1830s and the early 1850s” allowed themselves to be corrupted and taken over by then small section of the Democrat Party known as Southern Democrats or Dixiecrats.  This all took place after the Whig Party renamed itself the Republican party and Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.  The Southern Democrats/Dixiecrats saw the writing on the wall and figured out that once all slaves were free, they would show their gratitude towards Lincoln and his party by joining them and becoming a very large group of votes to keep them in control.  Those Whig/Republicans who were upset at this take over decided to move to the Democrat Party but in doing so they forgot to pack their spine, backbone, and intestinal fortitude, leaving it behind. History repeats itself and many of us have eyes but do not see and ears but do not hear.

MAGA-Republicans used that blueprint and it’s the same or similar one that has been used in the history of this nation since the time of the Pilgrims.  So perhaps let’s begin at the very beginning. In the second term of conception when the brain of the fetus begins to form, there is but only one cognitive component present called the Mix-Match Negative which has two very important functions.  One is to inform the fetus when to begin manufacturing the parts of the body and the other is to begin recording all events and our reactions to them.  This information is sent to the temporal lobe to be housed and dissimilated when necessary. 

Because of this, we are truly the results of all of our experiences and our reactions to them because this information forms our habits or behaviors. They then become so much part of us that we continue to do them even though we may no longer be benefiting for them and yes, even though they may be wrong.

Now don’t get it twisted, just because this is the way it is does not mean that each of us, individually, cannot change it if we choose to so the choice not to make any corrections to our behavior is not for governmental choice but a personal one that only that particular individual has to make.  This point leads us to how we can overcome complacency and save the life of our dying democracy provided we first understand that History repeats itself and many of us have eyes but do not see and ears but do not hear.

Throughout the history of this nation, those Wizards of OZ, who has been operating and orchestrating all these events from behind the curtain, has never been held accountable for their actions.  We have chosen to select the lowest hanging fruit, the foot soldiers, and punish them with the long arm of the law, while allowing those of greater influence and wealth to escape with a slight slap on the wrist and a promise not to do it again.  This leniency has emboldened the “haves” with the impression that a slight slap is a small price to pay for getting what they want even if it is turning a democracy into a dictatorship.

Many say that the MAGA Republicans hang on every word that Donald Trump says but I disagree because if that was true, then they would have heard him clearly say that if he ever ran for president, he would run as a Republican because they are stupid.  The MAGA Republicans are individuals who “normal” or behavior is to trust no one but themselves and use their fellow Americans as stepping stools to grab what they have been educated to believe belongs to them and them alone.  They hear the words spoken from the other side but as we have said before, are now so pampered and privileged that they will risk anything even though that thing may no longer be benefiting them. They care not that History repeats itself and many of us have eyes but do not see and ears but do not hear.

 

 

 

 

 

But is it truly the MAGA Republicans that is the threat to the death of democracy?  Partially but there is also another group that is just as guilty whose spine or backbone can be rented for a small monetary price from time to time.  This group is the American voting public.  Those times you sit on your hands and claim that your vote doesn’t count makes you complicit in the death of democracy.  Those times you stay quiet and not raise your voices when your leader takes an un-American stand makes you complicit and those times you allow those who are truly responsible for the creation of circumstances that threaten this democracy to go completely unpunished makes you complicit. Those times you refuse to step in and work for peace instead of war makes you complicit. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

Now for those out there who may be wondering how they could change their normal/behavior here are a couple of things you could memorize and try.  First, when asked, by the religious leaders of his time, which commandment from Moses Law was the most important, it is written that Jesus first informed them that those were God’s laws that he gave to Moses to present and these ten are now rolled into these two, before saying, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, and mind which is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is great also which is to love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:37–39). The second suggestion is making sure that you heed these words before opening your mouth to define another. It is written that Jesus said How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye (Luke 6:41-46).

If we all were to attempt these things perhaps then we can really make history instead of allowing it to repeat and finally use our eyes to see and our ears to hear.  This is my prayer and hopefully yours as we stand at the feet of our dying democracy.