As I’ve written my books and presented my thoughts, one thing has become more and more clear to me: not only is the federal lens of the battle of democracy far too narrow, but that overly narrow lens is deeply disempowering to everyday Americans who actually want to do something to fight back FOR democracy.
If the heart of the battle for democracy is only about Congress and DOJ investigations, then the average American not in DC or a swing state is left feeling like there’s almost nothing that they personally can do about it. (Except perhaps help a Senate or a House candidate in a swing district somewhere). We sit, watch TV and stew, feeling powerless, as we watch democracy decline all around us.
BUT…once we understand the sobering reality—that the battle for democracy starts in states and statehouses across the country—then a far more empowering reality also becomes true: wherever we are, we are ALL on the front lines of the battle over American democracy. And there is so much we each can (and must) do to fight for democracy within that battle, and on that front line.
(In fact, in a tragic irony, a major reason that the state-level attack on democracy is succeeding is because too few are seeing the battle for what it is, and fighting back in the place it’s being attacked. Which allows those attacking democracy to wage their battle intensely with hardly any pushback. So that disempowerment turns out to be a huge part of the problem.)
So if you’ve watched me rolling out my new book this past week, you’ll see that I’m energized about getting this empowering message out—and specifically, trying to empower everyone to see their own ability to lift democracy where they are, and then show them specific and practical ways they can make a difference.
If you’re interested in seeing those details, you can grab your copy now, here:
https://savedemocracy.us/where-to-buy/
Either way, take a look around your community, and what you do every day and week in your community, and start imagining all the ways you can lift democracy within those roles and spheres of influence.
The bottom line is that there is so much you can do. That we must do.
Understanding = Empowerment