Today is National Voter Registration Day! Click here to learn about registering to vote in Illinois.
Our election for President and many other offices will take place on Tuesday, November 5 – just 49 days away. I have spent my adult life trying to convince people to take part in civic and political life. I have helped people understand the realm of public – public policy, public law, public life – and that in America, our democracy depends upon the informed and persistent participation of her people. This participation takes many forms and I hope my work has opened the doors for folks to see that it is possible for you – that is necessary for you to do as much as you can to be a leader in the public space – in your community – and to live, express, and fight for the values you hold dear – service, love, equity, justice, and peace.
BUT, my friends all, this advice – all my work – all my teaching – will be for nothing if you and everyone you know and love FAILS TO VOTE in the upcoming election. You all MUST vote – as you are legally qualified – and you must get all your friends and family – here and in other places across the country – to vote. In Illinois, you can even register to vote on Election Day by bringing two pieces of identification (with your current address) to the polling place. .
You cannot sit this one out. Why? Simply put, we are in real danger of losing our democracy in America and slipping into fascism.
What are examples of fascist governments? Well, you have Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini – those are the two most famous examples. What are the features of a fascist regime?
(1) Routine use of political violence to settle debates and remove opposition.
(2) The prevalence of lies, misinformation, and propaganda to sway people to act.
(3) The use of fear and hatred – especially of the “Other,” the Outsider – as a basis for your politics and policies. The Outsider is to be despised as less than human, and therefore, may be discriminated against, rounded up, removed,
and exterminated.
(4) The emergence of a Strong Man – a charismatic dictator who is a law unto himself and abolishes the rule of law, adherence to history and science, and replaces that with a personality cult where the Strong Man IS the state, and his word and whim is law. There can be no opposition. To speak out is to invite punishment, banishment, imprisonment, and death.
America is increasingly meeting each of these criteria. We are one election away from checking ALL the boxes. I can’t explain why so many in America seem ready to choose hatred and autocracy over democracy and civic love – but that is where we are right now. There are many theories, but the fact is that this election for President – and also many races for the House and Senate – are very close. So. My civic comrades, it is up to us – the people – as it has always been – to decide the future of our country. Which way shall we go?