February is Presidents' month

Shannon Bohrer

(2/2021) When I was young, our early presidents seemed to be superheroes. They were admired and their birth dates celebrated. It seemed like we could all agree that the presidency was an important office in our democracy. While we understood that we have three branches of government, we only celebrated one. A lot has changed in our current political environment and with those changes, our current political leaders seem like they represent two different countries. History tells us that has occurred before, but not to this extent in our lifetime which adds to our uncertainty about our future.

Our new president said he wants to heal some divisions and unify the country. The idea of the country coming together seems like a dream that will probably not happen. The political parties created the problem, so it may be an unrealistic "goal" unless the politicians and parties are willing to change. Historically, we have been in similar divisiveness and situations, not unlike today, and conversely, we have come together at difficult times for the common good. President Bush experienced a few problems early in his first term, but after 911, the country came together and supported the president in fighting our common enemy. Maybe we need a shared goal, a common direction.

I am not suggesting that we need an external negative event, someone to attack us, to unify our country. With our democratic history and our freedoms enshrined in our constitution, one would think that we have sufficient common interest that would benefit all of us by working together. While we have our differences, and I am not downplaying them, you would think that our common interest could sometimes take precedent and allow us to work together in a unified direction that is beneficial for the country.

So, why do we always focus on our differences? Are our differences so vile and disagreeable that we cannot ignore them? For many, some of the differences, like supporting hate groups and white supremacy organizations - are not negotiable. Other differences, like tax rates for the wealthy and capital gains rates, and immigration policies, are negotiable. Historically, the citizens choose a party based on the parties governing philosophy. Too often, today's governing philosophy is if you are in office, you hold the power at any cost, even to the country’s detriment. It should not surprise anyone that our government is not just unpopular but disliked and distrusted. The distrust is often along party lines and is often encouraged by some so-called party leaders.

Is it possible to convey the truth and facts that are the foundation of your beliefs to someone that does not hold the same beliefs?

According to the polls and reporting, many disenfranchised Trump voters still believe that the election was rigged. They honestly believe that Trump won, and the election was rigged, and if they believe that, it is hard to imagine the parties working together. From their perspective, the outcome was atrocious and undemocratic. While Trump still touts this theory of election fraud, that his followers believe, each state's election results were certified. Even the states with Republican governors and legislators. The Attorney General, William Barr, and other federal agencies overseeing the election have said the election was fair and that Biden won.

So, how do we convince the citizens that believe the election was stolen, that it was a fair election? Maybe the question is, how does one convey the truth and facts that are the foundation of your beliefs to someone that does not hold the same beliefs? When are the irrefutable facts accepted by the non-believers? Trump touts the conspiracy theory that he really won the election, and his party went to the courts to redress his grievances. The courts have dismissed his claims for one simple reason, the lack of any evidence. You can say just about anything you want but untruthfulness in court puts one in jeopardy. Because of that jeopardy, in every case, the attorneys representing Trump have said, in court, they have no evidence. The Supreme Court would not even hear any oral arguments because no evidence existed.

In our country, the lie has become not just a moral category but a pillar of the State. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 1974

Even with no evidence, Trump supports still believes that he was cheated. A large factor that gives credit to their beliefs is the Republican congressmen, governors, and other elected officials that keep repeating Trump's untruths. As U.S. Senator Ron Johnson said, "he ‘wants ‘proof’ that there’s a lack of evidence of large-scale voter fraud." Seriously, that may be a good sound bit, but if there is no evidence of large-scale, or for that matter, small-scale voter fraud, is that not the proof?

If we expect our democracy to not just continue but to progress, we need to heal the divisions between us. We cannot heal with the division of continued false claims of election fraud. The Democrats cannot prove a negative, that there is no evidence of voter fraud, and the Republicans listen to their leaders, telling them that the election was stolen, yet offer no evidence.

It has been proffered that our current political environment is not just dividing the country, but it also affects our democracy, the way our government works. Democracies exist because the people believe in them; the government governs with the consent of the people. Without the consent of the people, democracies can dissolve into other forms of government, include autocracies. What would happen if the mob that took over the congress, is successful the next time?

The so-called leaders, telling their followers that the election was stolen, continue to play with fire. When half the country does not believe the government, then the government does not govern with the people's consent. Celebrating Presidents month is historically an important as a reminder. A reminder that we have has our differences before and will have them again, but we are one nation.

"Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt