Majority Rule - Blog Posts
Democracy
NO. 1
The short definition of democracy is the practice of social equality, and a quick Google search says it is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. Basically, the people are allowed/have the authority to have the to choose and decide legislation, or to choose governing officials. And yet, democracy is not included in the Declaration of Independence, nor the U.S Constitution.
NO. 2
The term ‘democracy’ originated from Athens, Greece, and it appeared in the 5th century BC, meaning the ‘rule of the people.’ The word “democracy” comes from two Greek words that mean people (demos) and rule (kratos). Democracy contrasts with the forms of government where power is either held by an individual, as in autocratic systems like a monarchy or where power is held by a small number of individuals, as in an oligarchy—oppositions inherited from ancient Greek philosophy. Western democracy reflects towards all citizens that they are ‘‘equal before the law, and having equal access to legislative processes. For example, in a representative democracy, every vote has equal weight, no unreasonable restrictions can apply to anyone seeking to become a representative, and the freedom of its eligible citizens is secured by legitimized rights and liberties which are typically protected by a constitution. Other uses of "democracy" include that of direct democracy in which issues are directly voted on by the constituents.’’
NO. 3
The U.S Constitution! A symbol of power, patriotism, nationalism, and freedom which conveys meaning honorable and justified peace for all people, granting its citizens hope, and what everyone wants is freedom. From the beginning, the founders of America emphasized this fact. ‘‘The history of the American democracy is usually presented as a political story tout court. Nineteenth-century scholars pointed to the Declaration of Independence as the fundamental document. Now that the Founding Fathers are seen as actively checking ‘the excess of democracy in the 1780s when they ratified the U.S Constitution’s creation of an energetic federal government, democracy is variously depicted as arriving in the U.S with the election of Thomas Jefferson or Andrew Jefferson.’’ And yet, this very word ‘democracy’ is not in the Constitution nor the Declaration of Independence. Why? Because America is not a democracy, it is officially known as a ‘‘representative democracy, in which citizens vote for representatives who create and change laws that govern the people rather than getting to vote directly on the laws themselves.’’
NO. 4
But to the minorities of this country, especially black and Indigenous people, the word democracy is not imparted upon them, nor those steady patriotic beliefs in the country to impose freedom for all. Because power was usurped from the ‘Indigenous People’, everyone who was white, Anglo-Saxon, and male was the only ‘people’ to vote, have a business, and be a part of the government, not to mention be respected as a human being. ‘‘The Constitution does not set forth requirements for the right to vote. As a result, at the outset of the Union, only male property-owners could vote. African Americans were not considered citizens, and women were excluded from the electoral process. Native Americans were not given the right to vote until 1924. When it was ratified in 1787, the Constitution enshrined the institution of slavery through the so-called "Three-Fifths Compromise," which called for those "bound to service for a term of years" and ‘all other Persons" (meaning slaves) to be counted for representation purposes as three-fifths of free people.’’
Granted, the Constitution has changed and was re-edited to allow everyone common and basic freedoms in this century. But as we go into 2022, does the current culture really embody that? Or is democracy still, and always has been, a white man's game?