New York City has done something which some will consider wrong but which according to my understanding of what’s good is a step in the right direction. It has given some 800,000 non citizens the right to vote in local elections. It only applies to green card holders and those holding work permits and the first election where it would apply is in January 2023. It goes without saying it is a debated law and some including experts say they do not know if New York City’s city council has the right to pass a law affecting voting rights. Still, it remains that in a democracy people are to have a voice in their fate, and voting is how we do it. Non-citizens live in the community, and pay taxes, they are involved and it seems only fair they ought to have a voice in the affairs of their city. There’s also the issue of inclusiveness. To my understanding humanity has to learn to be increasingly inclusive as a means to reach unity millennia from now. And this would be a small step. New York city is the largest city to pass such a law, towns in Vermont and Maryland already allow non-citizens to vote in municipal elections and non-citizens can vote in school board elections in San Francisco. It’s worth noting that several other towns in Illinois, Maine and Massachusetts are planning to allow non-citizens to vote. Needless to say it is controversial and some states like Colorado and Arizona have already passed laws preventing non-citizens from voting. It will continue to be controversial and as it does it is bound to foster discussion—perhaps a discussion that will deepen our understanding of what inclusivity means. That I believe would be very helpful to better understand how democracy works.
Tag: democracy
How They Got To Congress
The NYT researched how each member of Congress arrived there and published a graphic which anyone can use. They compare Congress members as our unofficial aristocracy since they are in effect our ruling class. What they found is that they do not represent the average citizen. As a whole their history, opportunities, background, personal wealth, education can much differ from those of their constituents. An important conclusion they suggest is that it seems the US only has a limited number of ways to enter the halls of power. There may be some difference between Democrats and Republicans, for instance more Republicans house members were formerly in business are opposed to the number of Democrats. The implication is that one’s experience predisposes one to certain issues. In the case of those who were in business, they are more likely to be pro-business in their votes and the issues they sponsor and the type of bills they introduce. Congress members are wealthier than the average American and that too makes a difference, sometimes sponsoring legislation that benefits their own class at the expense of others.
The United States is a representative democracy, meaning that those who make decisions on behalf of the people ought to represent them. The variance that exists between citizens and their representatives has become troubling. I have not read or heard any real answer to this, but if we want our democracy to regain its vibrancy, if we want Congress to be representative of the needs and aspirations of citizens, it would seem one way to start is by electing people who are more like us. And let’s note, that means we have to vote!
Democracy in Action
Half of us if not more are in pain adjusting from the results of an election we no longer understand. It’s been enlightening to talk to people, many acquaintances, who describe the same feeling of hurt, bewilderment, concern. We are united through our grief. And then there’s been the FB posts and the commentaries of many of our pundits, validating what could without exaggeration be called our gut wrenching experience. What’s to be noted is our reaction. There is no talk of riots, there is no talk of being destructive or violent. There is, however, determination to stand for our rights as The People, to demonstrate, to have our say, to have our voices heard, to be counted and not have our rights trampled. There is a petition to abolish the electoral college—please remember Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, as had Al Gore before her in 2000. There is talk of a referendum for California to secede—60% of Californians voted for Hillary. And of all the pieces by our talking heads, I found Aaron Sorkin’s letter to his daughter most apt, most succinct, and most moving, a letter where he enjoins us to work for the causes we believe in, to exercise our democratic rights, a letter that captures the mood of many. The expression of these sentiments are at a beginning announcing a time where people will not be complacent, a time when some of us will not allow our Muslim, our Black, our Latinos, our LGBT, our women, our disabled, our immigrants, our disenfranchised fellow citizens’ rights to be curtailed. It is a time which announces a challenge to the new president and his team. The question is how the new administration will respond. We are exercising the privilege of our democracy. How will the new administration exercise theirs? During an interview with Brian Williams the day after the election, governor Chris Christie commented that he had difficulty seeing how demonstrations held in several cities were spontaneous, and were not organized, but as long as they were peaceful, he recognized their right to demonstrate. This insertion of disbelief about spontaneity, which made me feel as if any organization could somehow be seen as conspiratorial, did evoke concern. Let time prove that concern unwarranted.Meanwhile let wisdom on both sides be a keynote: While those who protest need a resolve to remain peaceful, the new administration needs the understanding that their victory left out the very millions they now need to reach out to.
Democracy and Then What?
The English version of the German publication Spiegel ran an editorial about the idea of the wrong majorities, of what happens when extremists win elections? Ought we to nullify their vote? In essence that would be dissolving democracy, render it meaningless. But what happens when the people vote for what is bad for them, for policies that are anti-democratic? The piece mentions the possibility of a Donald Trump victory as that of the right wing in Germany and Austria. Here is Continue reading “Democracy and Then What?”