If one wades into the political side of social media, it doesn’t take long to find a “we don’t have a democracy, we have a republic” comment. When exactly did democracy (small “d”) become a dirty word?
The simple definition of democracy is “government by the people.” The ideals of democracy are not in conflict with the republican (small “r”) political order that gives our democracy functional structure. So, why are some elected officials attacking democracy?
Promoting the Big Lie about the 2020 election is an attack on democracy, plain and simple. The Wisconsin GOP is perfectly fine supporting the idea that the very election many of them won was corrupt. Most of our Republican elected officials support the Big Lie with their silence. They refuse to come out and say it was indeed fair, even though there is no supporting evidence to the contrary. Others like Robin Vos actively promote the Big Lie by using taxpayer dollars to “investigate” fraud. In doing so, supporters are strung along by a promise that the “truth” will someday be revealed. As long as voters stay charged up by this deception, the Wisconsin GOP, unbothered by their moral bankruptcy, will be able to cash in at election time this fall.
Where is this attack on our democracy going to end? In many states like Wisconsin, Republican led legislatures are passing laws that restrict voting rights while Democratic governors in those states veto them. The Big Lie provides a cover for this legislation. The GOP would have you believe that these laws will make elections more secure, but the reality is that they restrict access to voting. Without voter protections, there will be more minority rule than the GOP has already accomplished through gerrymandering. Once the scales have been tipped enough, our democracy will be gone. And once it is gone, it will not be easily restored.
