CAN WE KEEP IT?
By: Carol Lenz
When asked, ‘What do we have, a republic or a monarchy?’ Benjamin Franklin replied, ‘A republic, if you can keep it.’ Our responsibility is to keep it.
Our responsibility is to keep it.
We are not doing so well. For the fifth straight year, with the lowest score yet, the Economist rated the United States a “flawed democracy”.
One reason is the invasive spread of disinformation resulting in distrust of experts and government. Another is the inability of average citizens to elect leaders who will represent their interests.
What can we personally do?
First, seek the truth through experts and reliable media. You can evaluate media sources at https://mediabiasfactcheck.com
Second, tell your state legislators to support the bipartisan bills introduced to end gerrymandering. Anti-democracy legislators do not deserve your vote. You can find legislative information here: https://legis.wisconsin.gov/
Cheating to win is not the Wisconsin way. When one party gets 64% of the vote but only 36% of the seats there is a problem. The result? Citizens become apathetic, stop contacting their legislators and may even stop voting. Legislators don’t listen to their constituents, refuse to compromise and become more extreme. Good candidates don’t run for office when the outcome is predetermined. Wisconsin becomes extremely polarized. Sound familiar?
Consistently, three-fourths of Wisconsinites support nonpartisan redistricting. Learn more at: https://www.fairmapswi.com/
Let’s heed Franklin’s words of warning. It is time to put The People in charge, as it should be, and demand common sense Fair Maps. It is our responsibility to protect our democratic republic. The choice is ours.