Democracy hangs in the balance
A non-violent transfer of power is essential for a functioning democracy. The insurrection at our nation’s capital was a violent attempt to overturn a free and fair election.
Trump’s Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council Executive Committee and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a joint statement on the 2020 election. They stated “The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history.” “There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.”
Trump’s Attorney General and over 60 courts composed of approximately 80 judges all agreed there was no evidence that the 2020 election was unfairly decided.
Law and order is essential for a functioning democracy and consequently over 900 people have been charged in the insurrection, many pleading guilty, and others receiving guilty verdicts at their trial. We must continue to pursue the law all the way up to the top organizers.
The right to vote and have your vote counted is the foundation of a democracy. We have fought for voting rights for all since we became a nation. In 1869, after the Civil War, the 15th Amendment gave African-American men the right to vote. In 1920 the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. In 1964 poll taxes, which suppressed minority voting, were outlawed with the 24th Amendment.
In 1965 President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, which mandated that jurisdictions with a history of discrimination in voting require federal approval of their election laws. The act was extended by Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Bush. The Voting Rights Act was challenged in court and in 2013 the Supreme Court in Shelby v Holder rendered ineffective the requirement that certain jurisdictions with a history of voter discrimination get pre-approval for voting changes.
After that decision, many states have passed legislation to suppress voting rights, weakening our democracy. We need to strengthen the right to vote with legislation like the “For the People ACT” and the “Voting Rights Advancement Act” — both supported by Democrats.
Public records, classified and non-classified, are owned by all of us and must be stored and maintained by our government as mandated by law. Our government’s highly sensitive information must not be compromised and exposed to those who would do us harm. Again, law and order must prevail and anyone illegally mishandling this information must be held accountable.
The right to privacy, especially concerning health issues, is extremely important for a functioning democracy. In 1973 the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v Wade that the constitutional right to privacy includes a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy. Women had the right to make decisions about their own body for nearly 50 years until the Supreme Court chose to defy precedent and take that right away. The court’s decision will also impact our right to privacy in other arenas. Democrats are aggressively supporting our right to privacy.
A strong democracy requires a strong working class and President Biden signed three major pieces of legislation to support American workers. The American Rescue Plan saved our economy during the pandemic by supporting workers and small businesses. Not a single Republican voted for the bill. The American Jobs Plan will rebuild roads and bridges and ensure every American has access to high speed internet. A small number of Republicans joined the Democrats in passing the bill, however both Sen. Daines and Rep. Rosendale voted against the infrastructure bill. The Inflation Reduction Act reduces the deficit, improves health care, lowers prescription drug prices, invests in energy production and fights climate change. Not a single Republican voted for the bill.
These three major pieces of legislation support workers in America and make our democracy stronger.
Support democracy! Please vote for Democrats in the upcoming election.
Ron de Yong is the former Montana Director of Agriculture. He lives in Kalispell.