First, a definition:
DEMOCRACY: a state of community in which power of government resides in
or is expressed by the people
(The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary)
Several words stand out to me:
community: In other words, a democracy is not just a random grouping of people. Rather, the people come together with some intentionality to be a community, a purposive community in which goals, decisions, strategies, outreach and defense, shared responsibilities, and leadership choices are expressions of power as determined by the people and not just one individual or an isolated group.
government: Again, this word presupposes an intentionality of life together through the process of governing. Things do not "just happen." Secret or hidden actions do not occur under the would-be leadership of an individual or faction.
power: No question of what the word means, or is there? Think about it. What is power? We most often think of power as physical action. But, in truth, power is not only physical. Power may be psychological, spiritual, social, political, verbal, imaginative, visual, auditory, or silent. For example, a word not spoken and the vacuum created may be almost unbearable—which is probably why so much noise bombards our lives. Maybe that explains the "power" of Simon and Garfunkle's early successful "sound of silence," as well as the Creator's enjoyment listening to the song of planets in our solar system singing through space and centuries.
people: And now we come to the climatic last word in the definition of democracy—people. Yes! It comes down to people—you and me, and millions of others—in whom the power of government resides. Who are we, the people? Are we up to this lofty task of determining how power will be, and will not be, expressed? In each election cycle we take the measure of ourselves. Over the centuries "we" accomplished so much good in our governments, our schools, hospitals, social organizations, our literature and arts, our military that went to war to preserve civilization, our scientific discoveries and projects, and our creation of institutions that further the work of our ideals.
Yes, we the people have accomplished much and lifted high the banner of our accomplishments. But, we have also destroyed much that is good, creatures as well as natural life of all kinds including the planet itself. We pillaged and raped, hunted and attacked, demonized others, destroyed entire cultures, confiscated the artistic creations of other societies for our museums and homes, enslaved defenseless people, dehumanized women, threw children into slave-like labor, destroyed natural habitats for animals and wildlife, resented people who come desperate to our shores for opportunities to live, and built political structures that exclusively benefit us politically, financially, and culturally.
And so we ask, who are we the people who have done so much good and, on the other hand, so much bad that creates the spectrum of evil itself. How are we, in the simplest of terms, how are we to understand such a widely-flung spectrum of good and bad? Our viewpoints shape our understanding obviously, but for the sake of this brief writing, I think we may understand the range of our behaviors by considering the viewpoint of what we value.
Again, we come to a definition. What is a value?
VALUE: a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what
is important in life.
(The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary)
Ah, yes! Here we come down to the core of what we are talking about, do we not? In other words, a democracy depends on the rule of the people. And the rule of the people depends upon what they do and do not value.
For example, the five universal values of humanity are the following:
COURAGE
LIBERTY
TRUTH
BEAUTY
LOVE
Why the number 5, you may ask? The number 5 is associated mythically and symbolically with humanity across the boundaries of culture, religion, and time because since ancient days the five "appendages" of a person remain constant: head, 2 arms, 2 legs. In other words, even with stick figures the human form may be represented by the drawing of head, 2 arms, and 2 legs. Additionally, then, the five values listed above most often occur in one form or another in the prevalence of images and ideals associated with humanity.
But, yes, there is indeed a shadow side to our ideals and highest values. What happens when there is no positive and safe parenting? What happens when a society fails its citizens or deprive them of experiencing these 5 values? Of course, throughout time and circumstances such as the horrors of war, natural calamities, accidents, plagues, cruel leadership, etc., in these cases, the 5 values disappear and the negative traits may surface. What are these negative traits? While, they may be described in different ways, I list them as follows:
BRAVADO
DEPENDENCY
AGGRANDIZEMENT
TITILLATION
POWER
When we place these columns side by side, we may see more clearly what is at stake in the election of our democracy but also how we may take the measure of ourselves and our prospective leaders:
COURAGE BRAVADO
LIBERTY DEPENDENCY
TRUTH AGGRANDIZEMENT
BEAUTY TITILLATION
LOVE POWER
The choice, simply put, is ours to see, to contemplate, and decide. The outcome will determine not only the fate of our democracy but also how we are to understand ourselves and go forward.
DEMOCRACY: a state of community in which power of government resides in
or is expressed by the people
(The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary)
Several words stand out to me:
community: In other words, a democracy is not just a random grouping of people. Rather, the people come together with some intentionality to be a community, a purposive community in which goals, decisions, strategies, outreach and defense, shared responsibilities, and leadership choices are expressions of power as determined by the people and not just one individual or an isolated group.
government: Again, this word presupposes an intentionality of life together through the process of governing. Things do not "just happen." Secret or hidden actions do not occur under the would-be leadership of an individual or faction.
power: No question of what the word means, or is there? Think about it. What is power? We most often think of power as physical action. But, in truth, power is not only physical. Power may be psychological, spiritual, social, political, verbal, imaginative, visual, auditory, or silent. For example, a word not spoken and the vacuum created may be almost unbearable—which is probably why so much noise bombards our lives. Maybe that explains the "power" of Simon and Garfunkle's early successful "sound of silence," as well as the Creator's enjoyment listening to the song of planets in our solar system singing through space and centuries.
people: And now we come to the climatic last word in the definition of democracy—people. Yes! It comes down to people—you and me, and millions of others—in whom the power of government resides. Who are we, the people? Are we up to this lofty task of determining how power will be, and will not be, expressed? In each election cycle we take the measure of ourselves. Over the centuries "we" accomplished so much good in our governments, our schools, hospitals, social organizations, our literature and arts, our military that went to war to preserve civilization, our scientific discoveries and projects, and our creation of institutions that further the work of our ideals.
Yes, we the people have accomplished much and lifted high the banner of our accomplishments. But, we have also destroyed much that is good, creatures as well as natural life of all kinds including the planet itself. We pillaged and raped, hunted and attacked, demonized others, destroyed entire cultures, confiscated the artistic creations of other societies for our museums and homes, enslaved defenseless people, dehumanized women, threw children into slave-like labor, destroyed natural habitats for animals and wildlife, resented people who come desperate to our shores for opportunities to live, and built political structures that exclusively benefit us politically, financially, and culturally.
And so we ask, who are we the people who have done so much good and, on the other hand, so much bad that creates the spectrum of evil itself. How are we, in the simplest of terms, how are we to understand such a widely-flung spectrum of good and bad? Our viewpoints shape our understanding obviously, but for the sake of this brief writing, I think we may understand the range of our behaviors by considering the viewpoint of what we value.
Again, we come to a definition. What is a value?
VALUE: a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what
is important in life.
(The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary)
Ah, yes! Here we come down to the core of what we are talking about, do we not? In other words, a democracy depends on the rule of the people. And the rule of the people depends upon what they do and do not value.
For example, the five universal values of humanity are the following:
COURAGE
LIBERTY
TRUTH
BEAUTY
LOVE
Why the number 5, you may ask? The number 5 is associated mythically and symbolically with humanity across the boundaries of culture, religion, and time because since ancient days the five "appendages" of a person remain constant: head, 2 arms, 2 legs. In other words, even with stick figures the human form may be represented by the drawing of head, 2 arms, and 2 legs. Additionally, then, the five values listed above most often occur in one form or another in the prevalence of images and ideals associated with humanity.
But, yes, there is indeed a shadow side to our ideals and highest values. What happens when there is no positive and safe parenting? What happens when a society fails its citizens or deprive them of experiencing these 5 values? Of course, throughout time and circumstances such as the horrors of war, natural calamities, accidents, plagues, cruel leadership, etc., in these cases, the 5 values disappear and the negative traits may surface. What are these negative traits? While, they may be described in different ways, I list them as follows:
BRAVADO
DEPENDENCY
AGGRANDIZEMENT
TITILLATION
POWER
When we place these columns side by side, we may see more clearly what is at stake in the election of our democracy but also how we may take the measure of ourselves and our prospective leaders:
COURAGE BRAVADO
LIBERTY DEPENDENCY
TRUTH AGGRANDIZEMENT
BEAUTY TITILLATION
LOVE POWER
The choice, simply put, is ours to see, to contemplate, and decide. The outcome will determine not only the fate of our democracy but also how we are to understand ourselves and go forward.
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