The following letter is one of a series written to my adopted African American grandchildren during the COVID-crisis. They are about my life as a child in comparison to how things are today. I plan to put them in a book for them to enjoy when they are older.
Dear Hanan and Mirna:
Electing a president this year was scary. Donald Trump and many of his friends told so many lies it was hard to know what what was the truth. That is why Mama and Baba and I tell you not to lie even when you do something wrong
Part 20
When I was your age, elections that happened every four years were exciting. All my neighbors watched the Democratic and Republican conventions on television to see who would be selected to run for president. Friends wore big buttons and waved flags with the name of the person they wanted to win. In school, we learned about democracy and why voting is important. On election day, we all voted to see which candidate our school favored.
This picture is of a Republican named Dwight D. Eisenhower putting his ballot, a sheet of paper with his vote on it, in a box in 1953. Do you think he voted for himself? For a nickname they called him IKE and his followers shouted “I like Ike” over and over again. He was very happy when he won.
Democracy really starts at home. When you are young, your parents and grandma rule over you like kings and queens and tell you what to do. But, when you are older and know more, your family will ask for your opinion about what you like and don’t like. Before you tell them, you have to consider the good and bad parts of what you are being asked to comment on.
For instance, if I ask you girls if you want to go the river to feed the geese, and Hanan says yes and Mirna says no, then a third person will be needed to break the tie. If that person is me, and I agree with Hanan, it becomes two yes votes and one no vote. We are practicing democracy. Though Mirna may not be happy, if she is democratic, she will go along with the majority. The next time we go out, she might give us a reason to vote for the playground instead.
The same voting happens in a democratic country with over three hundred million people. The only way it can be managed is by having groups of citizens vote for someone to represent them.
Imagine being in a group that has clubs all over the country. The club in your town club has ten girls in it who vote for one person to be their leader. The leader will represent them when all the clubs in the country decide to gather. It would be too expensive and too confusing if every girl from every club went to the meeting. The people sent to represent each club will make the rules everyone agrees to follow. After a lot of talk and arguments, they will vote on whether the rules are ones they want by marking yes or no on a ballot. If most people say yes then the rule is accepted. Your leader will come home and share what she learned at the meeting.
Though not all club members will be happy with the rules, if you believe in democracy and not in fighting to get you way, you will accept and follow what most people want. If you wish the vote went a different way, you have to figure out how to get the leaders to change their minds and vote your way during the next election. That is how democracy and politics (running a government) work.
Problems occur when citizens forget that we live in a country where we follow the rules most people think are good. Instead, they decide their way is better and they know what is best for everyone else. President Donald Trump thought that way. He did not want to give up his power, so in 2020, he acted like a dictator who didn’t care if people wanted him as president. During the election, he lied to everyone in the country and told us that our votes were not fairly counted, even when they were recounted several times and proved to be correct. He wanted votes for Joe Biden, the man running against him, to be thrown away so he would win. By repeating the lie over and over again, some people started to believe him. Trump was president, after all. They got angry even when they were told the truth. A big ugly mob with weapons went to the capital in Washington, planning to take over the government. They smashed windows and stole souvenirs from offices. Men beat up the police and tried to capture and kill lawmakers they did not like.
These men and women were traitors to democracy and caused five people to die and many to fear for their lives. Taking over the government by force is called treason. January 6th, 2021 was a horrible day in the history of the United States, a country that is proud that we transfer the power from one person to another without a fight. Though you are only five, Hanan and you nine, Mirna, it is an important day to remember and make sure it will never happen again.
I was very worried when our democratic country almost became a dictatorship. It showed me how important it is for leaders to be honest and voters to check to make sure what they are told is truthful. Politicians who lie, cause many people to get hurt.
Thankfully, democracy survived, and on January 21st, a man named Joseph Biden became the country’s new president. Kamala Harris became the first woman to be elected vice president. She, like you, is a girl of color and proof that if you study hard and decide you want to govern the country to make it a better place, it is possible to get people to vote for you. You might even become president one day.
