There is currently a great deal of discussion in our country concerning threats to our democracy. However, while some people are genuinely alarmed, others seem unconcerned. Those who are very worried cite threats such as making it more difficult to vote in some places, attempts to overturn a presidential election, talk of seizing voting machines, threats to election workers and, more recently, threats to the FBI for doing their job. The list can go on and on. The discussion includes push-back and counter measures to these threats in order to protect our democracy. It seems, however, that we assume that it is self-evident as to why we should protect our democracy. Maybe the why is not so obvious to many of our citizens.
Maybe we learned why democracy should be protected in school when a course called “Civics” was part of the curriculum. Teacher friends of mine tell me that civics is no longer taught, at least in Utah and maybe more broadly throughout the country. Since we no longer seem to be educating our young people about how our government works and why it works the way it does for the common good, there exists a knowledge vacuum which can worsen with each generation which is not educated about our government institutions. All sorts of ideas and assumptions can be brought in to fill the vacuum and to justify all sorts of behavior.
Democracy is not a perfect form of government, but try living under a nondemocratic system, especially when you don’t like what’s being done by those in power. What recourse would you have? Speak up? Take action against power? Organize an opposition movement? Well, good luck. You (and likely your family) would probably be silenced, jailed, harassed, beaten, deported or worse.
Democracy gives you options with every political speech, debate, campaign and election. But democracy is fragile and must be protected and nurtured. Many thousands of our soldiers, sailors and airmen and women died doing the protecting through two world wars and numerous smaller conflicts.
Until “civics” returns to our school curricula, let’s take it upon ourselves to educate our children about why we need to protect democracy as well as implementing the measures we can take to protect it. Maybe a healthy dose of civics will help lead to more civility.
Steven Ross, Millcreek
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