US Democracy Must Face its Fear

One of the many reasons we must be deeply concerned about the attack on the Capitol is that it is an attack on democracy. Democracy gives a voice to the people. Some of the people, like African Americans and indigenous populations, have struggled after being systematically silence within this democracy. Some have accepted this disenfranchisement as natural. Generally, white people have been granted automatic acceptance in the democratic enterprise. At least that is what we have been encouraged to believe.

However, we are living at a time of changing demographics. White populations are declining in number and the country is more diverse than ever. In many parts of the country, Spanish, in particular, is displacing English as the language of exchange. Neighborhoods look, sound, and feel different than they did just a decade or two ago. And so does our Congress.

A commitment to democracy means accepting the changing constituency of We the People and the attendant cultural shifts. For many, these changes are frightening. And fear brings terror first to the one experiencing it. And if it is not acknowledged, fear can be externalized with devastating consequences. Those participating in the Stop the Steal, QAnon, and White Nationalism are at a base level, deeply fearful people. As a nation, we are compelled to look into the face of this fear. Not just to condemn but recognize it and to understand what must be done to chart our path forward.

But let’s be clear, the fear must be exposed. Minimize it, ignore it, look away at our own peril.