Until every American can have the same healthcare the president and all our elected officials enjoy, we do not live in a worthy democracy.
Until all people are protected with the same earnestness shown to wealthy citizens, we do not live in a democracy.
Until all Americans are able to practice their religion, without having someone else’s imposed on them, we do not live in a democracy.
Until every American has the same legal protections and rights that those with means do, we do not live in a democracy.
As long women do not have equality of pay and authority, and the same respect as the most power men, we do not live in a democracy.
Until every American can go to sleep at night in safe shelter without having to worry about their precarious economic situation, about violence from others, or about caring for their children, we do not live in a democracy.
Until all citizens, including our elected officials, are held to the same standards of truth, responsibility, accountability, and transparency as the lowest of us, we do not have a democracy.
Until all income is taxed in the same system as laborers and other workers, without loopholes, evasion, or special categories of reduced rates, we have no democracy.
Until Earth, Sea, and Sky are protected as common resources for us all and kept void of toxins, we do not live in a democracy.
Until we can honestly look at the history of our nation – its successes and failures, honorable and dishonorable actions – with a clear eye toward honest application of our best principles, we will have no constitutional system of democratic government.
Until the press is held to standards of accuracy and truth, free of manipulation by sponsors, propaganda machines, and political bosses, we have little hope for achieving democracy.
Until every citizen has opportunities for the education they desire, we do not live in a democracy.
Until every corporation is held responsible for what happens to ordinary citizens downstream for the outcomes of their processes and products, we do not live in a democracy.
Until every citizen’s vote is actively enabled and counted, we do not have democracy.
Until human beings have the same rights and means as the largest corporations, we do not live in a democracy
What we have instead are empty promises made by an aristocratic elite for whom we ordinary people are but subjects to be exploited for our labor and resources. It is an aristocracy manipulating a capitalistic nightmare where capital is the central value rather than human beings – people being but a means for another’s profit.
For me, a worthy democracy requires equal privileges and rights, enabled participation, and shared responsibilities, with enough compassion to guarantee no one is without the means to live safely.
Perhaps my title – Waiting for Democracy to Come to America – is not adequate. We cannot wait for it. We must demand it, create it every day, expect it, and vote for it in every election, speak for it in every town hall, and remind our elected representatives that we, the people, must be their “special interest.”