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The Civic Crime Of Ordinary People

Oct 26, 2016
by Caroline Miller
Alexander Hamilton, Astra Taylor, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Occupy Wall Street, The Anti-Democratic Urge, The Tea Party, Thomas Jefferson
2 Comments

While I support Hillary Clinton for president of the United States, it’s a fair question to ask how she and her opponent, having among the lowest approval ratings in history for the office, came to be the sole survivors vying for this high office.  What does their ascendancy say about the state of America’s democracy?  That the  public is frustrated is clear.  That they feel they have no true champion is also clear.

On the democratic side, Hillary Clinton is viewed as supporting the status quo, a member of the politically elite.  On the Republican side, Donald Trump, a multimillionaire businessman, tries to pass himself off as a representative of working people.

But who really speaks for us? Not Wall Street and apparently, not many of our elected leaders. That’s why the Tea Party Movement and Occupy Wall Street, though they offer different solutions, have emerged.  Both demand that power be returned to the  people.  

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton courtesy of yahoo.com

Oddly enough our founding fathers considered creating a pure democracy –one person one vote — but rejected the idea in favor of a republic.  According to writer Felix Salmon, Alexander Hamilton’s intent was to  “insulate[] lawmakers from the masses.” (“The Anti-Democratic Urge,” by Astra Taylor, New Republic, September 2016, pg. 16.)

Whether by design or accident, the  oligarchs do seem to have gained the upper hand.  Sadly, they are mistaken in  their belief that in serving themselves, they serve their country. They have gutted the social safety network, gutted school funding,  packed prisons with “undesirables’” and weakened unions.  By their own hand they have scattered the seeds of rebellion.

Unfortunately, mob rule is the danger that threatens when a disconnect exists between the people and their government.  But the people have a responsibility, also.  Too many of us pay little attention to government until it becomes an economic issue of personal consequences. Too many see voting as an option and not a duty.  When we look for those to blame, we should start with ourselves.  If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. (Thomas Jefferson)

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2 Comments
  1. Dale Hess October 29, 2016 at 6:38 am Reply
    Nobody ever said it better than Jefferson. That quote is a dear old friend. It is good to see it as a comment on where we are today.
    • Caroline Miller October 29, 2016 at 8:00 am Reply
      Sad that he could be so prescient about how fragile a democracy can become.

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Contact Caroline at

carolinemiller11@yahoo.com

Portland, Oregon author Caroline Miller had distinguished careers as an educator, union president, elected official and artist/advocate.

Her play, Woman on the Scarlet Beast, was performed at the Post5 Theatre, Portland, OR, January/February 2015

Caroline published a serialized novelette, Marie Eau-Claire, on the website, The Colored Lens.  She also published the story Gustav Pavel,  a parable about ordinary lives, choice and alternate potential, on the website Fixional.co.

Caroline has published four novels

  • Ballet Noir
  • Trompe l’Oeil
  • Gothic Spring
  • Heart Land

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