A failure of American democracy

It won’t be the first time.  There’s a long history of terrible things this country has done.  I’m not about to recount them all, but I will mention the Trail of Tears, the prejudice against Irish, the failure of Reconstruction, the treatment of Chinese immigrants, the battles against organized labor, the segregation of the armed forces through World War II, and the Japanese internment.  The important thing, as I tried to make clear to my American studies classes, was that always there were voices–sometimes still and very small voices–that were raised against injustice, against bigotry, against evil.

Once again we need to hear those voices.  Attacks on peaceful demonstrators, a president calling for violence, and more than a third of American voters backing a man who has no understanding of democratic values or the First Amendment are all examples of a failure of the 

American experiment.  

This time the voices should not be still and very small.  Speak out.  Our democratic experiment, and it is always tentative and need of defense, is under attack.  It is not inevitable that democratic values will triumph.  I know I will be thought to be alarmist, but who will come to the defense of American democracy?  Senator Toomey?  Mitch McConnell?  Republican Senators?  Fox News?  

It is up to people like us.