By Ben Klandrud
This July 4th, 2010, we celebrated our 234th national birthday. For most, this was a festive day marked by parades, concerts, and fireworks. It meant a day off of work, summer sun, and cookouts with traditional foods, like the beer brats and cold watermelon enjoyed by my family. American flags were prominently displayed, adorning homes and T-shirts. Independence Day has become more of a commercial holiday, like Halloween or Valentine’s Day, instead of a joyous time of remembrance and respect for those who’ve sacrificed to preserve this democracy and its freedoms.
I was asked by a friend to write about democracy. At first, I felt reluctant to share my perspectives on the topic because national ignorance and apathy is so pervasive that one in four Americans are unaware of what empire our founding fathers boldly declared independence from by signing their names to that pivotal document in Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776 (Note 1). But, how will awareness and appreciation for the American approach to government—democracy—increase if those who are knowledgeable don’t pass along our past?
By definition, democracy is a form of government that is “by the people and for the people,” (Note 2) meaning citizens elect their leaders. America is a republic, which specifically means citizens vote for representatives at both local (i.e., state) and national (i.e., federal) levels to run the government. Unlike most of the world, the freedom of speech in America encourages exchange and debate of ideas. This is not Iran; there is no reason to fear deadly retribution for those who openly oppose the establishment. Such freedom welcomes extremely opposite opinions on government.
Some American citizens believe in and promote reforms that will mean huge government oversight of, or control over, our personal and professional lives. These reforms are a slippery slope to socialism, where the entire community (read: the government) owns and controls the people’s means of production. Have such proponents forgotten the lessons of history? Have they not gleaned the grizzly lessons of Stalin’s Russia, Hitler’s Germany, Mao’s China, Kim Jung Il’s North Korea, Castro’s Cuba, Pot’s Cambodia, and Chavez’ Venezuela? Socialist governments have all too often set the stage for totalitarian regimes antithetical to the principals of freedom we purport to cherish as Americans. When considering such reforms, we must guard against any that endanger the individual liberties fundamental to our democracy and guaranteed in our Constitution.
It is not enough to be labeled a democratic nation—her people must continuously maintain the spirit of democracy by challenging elected leaders to fulfill constituents’ wishes. Whenever ignored and/or defied, the population must be willing and able to enact consequences, namely removal from office. When citizens accept such responsibility for their democracy, government is at its most effective. As an Army officer, it is my responsibility to train and prepare soldiers for battle. That means we study war history, the enemy, and our equipment as we train our bodies and minds to function as a team for the ultimate goal: victory. Similarly, Americans either contribute to the success or failure of this country through their level of preparation for patriotic participation. From my viewpoint, Americans are responsible for the country’s progression in the following five ways: 1.) voting, 2.) personal integrity, 3.) sacrificial nature, 4.) commitment to education, and 5.) reliance on the creator.
The cornerstone of democracy is the people’s right to vote. The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence acknowledged voting as fundamental to freedom. Unfortunately, low voter turnout appears to be an ever-increasing trend in America. Even with impressive numbers of young people casting ballots, particularly for the charismatic and compelling Barack Obama, less than two of three eligible voters participated in the 2008 presidential election (Note 3). Concerning local elections not held in November, turnouts are typically abysmal.
It saddens me to report that voter apathy exists in the military as well. Many of my soldiers, mostly fresh out of high school, frankly confess that they choose not to vote because 1.) politics don’t interest them, 2.) they are uninformed about the issues and candidates, or 3.) feel one person’s vote is irrelevant. Incredibly, some of these have fought to liberate Iraqis from tyrannical rule, paving a path to their historical election of leaders in 2005.
Going to the polls and exercising one’s right to vote must be impressed upon our youth and exemplified by elders as the primary way to protect our democracy from decay through corruption. Of course, personal integrity among voters ensures high moral standards are set for chosen officials. When lying, cheating, and stealing are overlooked in national leaders’ lives and offices, citizens passively permit a shift in the balance of power, from themselves, the voters, to the government, via untrustworthy representatives. John Quincy Adams said it best, “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”
Another hallmark of a successful democratic nation is that its people are sacrificial. Every generation since the American Revolution has made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure freedom reigns. From the bloody battle at Bunker Hill to the brave firefighters who stormed the crumbling World Trade Center towers on 9/11, willingness to sacrifice one’s ordinary life for the greater good has always defined American heroes. Whether by military or public service, the need for volunteers is great. Without the work of courageous and unselfish patriots, democracy could not have been established here nor could it persist unto today. Remember JFK’s charge to citizens: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
Even before declaring independence from England, the literacy rate for adult white males in the 13 colonies was a minimum of 70 percent (Note 4). High literacy rates are connected to the country’s religious heritage; most people were Christians and regularly read the Bible. Prioritization of widespread, personal education carries on. Of countries that send their children to secondary school, the United States is among the top. For example, 94 percent of American children are enrolled in secondary school compared to just 32 percent in Africa, 55 percent in Asia, and 73 percent for Latin America and the Caribbean (Note 5). Citizens of this democracy need basic education, particularly for reading and comprehending our Constitution. Knowing it will undoubtedly inspire informed voting decisions as well as make charlatans, who seek public power for illegitimate purposes, easily recognizable.
Guardians of American democracy should humble themselves to seek wisdom and discernment from the Creator, just as George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, Frederick Douglas, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ronald Reagan. At the nation’s inception, Judeo-Christian beliefs and values were at the forefront of framer minds and writings. Recognition of God is clear when the founders concluded, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” It is this acknowledgement of God’s prominent place in our lives that pushes followers to live for God by loving one’s neighbors and enemies, choosing good over evil, and strengthening society through godly standards for everything—including governance.
If American democracy, as designed by the founders, is to persist for future generations, then today’s citizens must prepare themselves, as soldiers for battle, to defend our unique freedoms. Victory comes through informed votes cast by citizens of integrity who are willing to sacrifice time, comfort, and even life to preserve and protect rights endowed by God. Abe Lincoln encouraged mourners to keep to their cause of increasing freedom for all when he spoke the following in 1863 at Gettysburg: “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Seriously consider the significance of Independence Day. Allow the spirit of patriotism to reside within you; demonstrate it through submission to God, service for fellow man, and defense of American democracy. Express love of country by flying the flag always and wearing red, white, and blue more than once a year. Educate yourself by regularly reading the Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States. Vote every chance you get! Share our sacred history with family and friends. When citizens are dedicated to democracy, America continues to be “a shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere” (Note 6).
Ben Klandrud is a captain in the U.S. Army.
Notes
1 Marist Poll taken on July 3, 2010.
2 Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address given on November 19, 1863
3 Andy Barr, 2008 turnout shatters all records, http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15306.html (November 5, 2008)
4 Lawrence A. Cremin American Education: The Colonial Experience, NY: Harper & Row, 1970.
5 UNICEF, The State of the World’s Children Special Edition: Celebrating 20 Years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 2009.
6 Ronald Reagan, 1974, echoing John Winthrop, 1630.
2 comments:
Klandrud mentions the tyranny of the British Empire, yet doesn't seem to have a problem with the U.S. building an empire of its own. The U.S. maintains military bases in 90-some countries and currently spends more on military and defense than every other country in the world-- combined. Most of that military activity happens in places that have oil (Iraq), or in places that are strategically important for oil (i.e., Afghanistan). Would the U.S. be so concerned about either place if not for oil? Well, look at recent conflicts in Somalia or Sudan; both have a U.N. presence, but not a distinct U.S. military presence. In another pertinent example, lets' take a look at Saudi Arabia. Not a democratic country, yet the U.S. doesn't seem to mind calling them an ally. Why? Because they have oil that the'y're happy to sell to us. The U.S. is happy to befriend autocratic regimes, so long as they're friendly to our interests.
Also, Klandrud mentions the USSR as an example of failed socialism. Nothing about the USSR represented true socialism-- or communism. It was a tyrannical dictatorship disguised as communism. There aren't any truly socialist nations in the world, so we have no idea how well socialism works (or doesn't) to provide for the needs of people. Similarly, we've never let the free market proceed unencumbered, so we have no idea of the extent to which it is capable of providing for basic needs (I'd argue not very well; as Marx pointed out long ago, capitalism, which is based in competition, allows for enormous inequalities to develop and is also very crisis-prone). But, there are examples of nations that allow the government a much stronger role in everyday life (providing strong social programs, regulating industry, and even owning/controlling many of the most important industries): Sweden, Denmark, Norway, even (to a lesser extent), Canada. And, in all of those countries you see: A longer life expectancy, less poverty, less inequality and better health than in the United States. Most people who call themselves socialists believe in democratic socialism, not the type practiced in Cuba, Russia, China.
Klandrud also provides MLK as an example, yet MLK had views that are much more consistent with socialism than capitalism. He was also pretty anti-military. A couple examples:
"And one day we must ask the question, 'Why are there forty million poor people in America?' And when you begin to ask that question, you are raising questions about the economic system, about a broader distribution of wealth. When you ask that question, you begin to question the capitalistic economy."
"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom."
Unfortunately, MLK's fairly radical views have largely been ignored, his quotations used to support political positions that wouldn't have jibed with his own.
I'd also disagree with his statement that young people should prepare themselves for battle. The military has fairly unfettered access to schools and universities, recruiting young people to die for a cause that they may not fully understand, one that is advanced by political leaders who may have very different motives from the young people who (bravely) serve. What people all over the world resent is U.S. arrogance, the hegemony of U.S. corporate interests, and the willingness of the U.S. to send its military all over the globe to satisfy its own interests. Worse, we've created a culture where it's unpatriotic to question these things.
Though politicians would have you believe that the rampant anti-Americanism around the world is a function of jealousy over wealth or democracy, it's really resentment over the arrogance, greed, and aggression that some people feel the U.S. embodies. Perhaps instead of preparing young people to fight, we should prepare them to think for themselves and question authority (something the military doesn't teach). Our democracy needs less conformity, less authority, more critique, and more civil disobedience.
One more comment: You can't cite literacy statistics as an example of U.S. superiority. One of the reasons the U.S. is wealthy is that we use international trade regulations to corral nations of the Global South into giving us their natural resources at rock-bottom prices. This is aided by the World Bank and IMF, who convince nations to take loans for infrastructure development, insist that they hire U.S. firms to do the work, then demand repayment with interest when they (invariably) can't pay back the loans. Ecuador currently spends 50% of its national budget on debt repayment. The U.S. doesn't have a higher literacy rate than Ecuador because we have democracy-- it's because we're systematically stealing money from them.
T. Haney
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