Tag Archives: democracy

Freedom of the Press Isn’t Free

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Last month I wrote about the importance of voting, emphasizing that democracy is not a spectator sport. This month, my focus shifts to another essential part of a healthy democracy: a free press.

We often think of freedom of the press as something guaranteed by the First Amendment – and it is. But a free press doesn’t sustain itself. It depends on journalists willing to do difficult work, news organizations willing to stand up for their independence, and citizens who recognize the value of reliable information and are willing to support it.

The events of last week brought that home. When major news outlets were banned from the White House and other news organizations stood together in support of them, they sent a powerful message. News organizations that normally compete with one another recognized that something more fundamental was at stake. By standing together to defend press freedom, they prevailed.

Then, this weekend, my husband and I attended a gala fundraiser for the Plymouth Independent, a nonprofit, free-to-read online news organization serving the Plymouth, Massachusetts community.

We hesitated to buy tickets when we first heard about the event. We already support a number of cultural and arts organizations in our town, and there are always more worthy causes than dollars to go around.

But this was different.

The theme of the evening was “Celebrating 250 Years of the First Amendment.” Given everything happening around us, the timing felt especially significant. Along with about 300 other people, we opened our wallets for the silent auction, live auction and overall call for donations.

Why did it feel different? Continue reading →

Democracy Is Not a Spectator Sport: Why Your Vote Matters

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We spend a lot of time watching elections. We follow the polls, analyze the latest primary results, debate the candidates, and speculate about what might happen in November. But there is one data point that ultimately matters more than all the polls and predictions combined: the votes actually cast. Voting is not something we simply watch. It is how we participate in our democracy – and yes, voting matters.

The midterm elections are now only 75 days away, and primary season is in full swing. Every week seems to bring a new surprise as actual results differ from the polls and voters make their voices heard. The 2018 “blue wave” is a reminder that elections can shift the balance of power in Congress and change the direction of the country. But that only happens when people show up and vote.

The total number of registered voters who didn’t vote in the 2024 election was greater than the total number who voted for either the Democrat or Republican presidential candidate. We know how that turned out. Yes, voting matters!

And history reminds us that the right to vote should never be taken for granted. I am a faithful daily reader of Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American, which puts today’s events in historical context. Two of her recent posts, on August 6 and August 18, were reminders of just how hard-won voting rights have been for women and people of color. Those rights were not inevitable. They were fought for, expanded, defended – and remain worth protecting today.

And yet, even today, some are calling for women’s hard-won right to vote to be rolled back. Some Christian nationalists advocate repealing women’s suffrage, with voting by household and women expected to defer to men. Continue reading →

From MLK to Today: Defending Democracy, Diversity, and Justice Together

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The irony of Martin Luther King Day and this presidential inauguration falling on the same day is one that’s hard to wrap my head around. So, I was glad to see there were several local events over the MLK holiday weekend sponsored by the No Place for Hate committee in our town.

My husband and I attended a free showing of the 2018 documentary, “I Am MLK, Jr.” on Friday night. (You can find it on various streaming services at home). What a powerful story it told. In just 12 years and 4 months, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a profound impact on our democracy and fight for social justice.

Seeing that movie made me wonder what Dr. King would say if he were alive and witnessing the inauguration today.

On Sunday afternoon, we attended a program that included a keynote from Reverend Rahsaan D. Hall, President and CEO of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts. At an earlier weekend rally in Boston, the Boston Globe quoted Reverend Hall as saying in response to the new administration, “We’ll double down on the three D’s of defending democracy, demanding diversity, and defeating poverty” as their north star. On Sunday, he delivered a passionate talk with a closing message that emphasized repeatedly that change takes total participation.

Yes, the fight for social justice continues and it does take total participation. Some of Dr. King’s most famous quotes are especially poignant as we prepare for this next administration:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

Shortly after the election I bought two of Timothy Snyder’s books, “On Tyranny – Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century” and “On Freedom”. But I’ve hesitated to jump in. As this new administration becomes reality and we see more clearly what lies ahead, I decided it was time to read “On Tyranny”. I read it in a little over an hour on Saturday and I highly recommend it. Some of the key lessons: don’t obey in advance, support institutions, believe in truth, and contribute to good causes.

On Sunday night, we watched a virtual event sponsored by Red Wine & Blue – “Keep Calm and Listen to Heather Cox Richardson: Inauguration Eve”. It was just what we needed. Richardson writes a daily newsletter called, Letters from an American, which is also available as a podcast. For well over a year, I have made reading her letter my first “to do” with a cup of coffee each morning. As a history professor, last night she put things into perspective and reminded us that small groups of people can change history.

Red Wine & Blue sounds like they are trying to do just that – their website describes them as, “A national community of over half a million diverse suburban women working together to defeat extremism, one friend at a time. We train and connect women from across the country of all political backgrounds – including many who have never been political before – to get sh*t done and have fun along the way.” In what they call TroubleNation, they already have over 500 chapters for grassroots community organizing in 49 states.

As I’ve closed some of my past blog posts, now more than ever we need to stay informed, engaged and vigilant.

Related Posts:

Finding truth post-election: staying informed, vigilant and engaged

Martin Luther King Day and why it matters – 2020

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – why it matters

Hate has no place