If we have learned anything, it should be to be a learner, not a scholar. I respect scholars and appreciate their writings. Those who help us to better understand our world are essential. It is understanding why things, good or bad, happen that enables us to become better citizens in our Democracy.
Understanding why different people reach varying conclusions on the same topic allows each of us to reach our own rational conclusions. At times as a nation, we seem to be marching without knowing toward climate chaos, with pollution of our air, random gun shootings, without caring about the poor, sick, or marginalized. We see this direction in the legislation and actions our leaders pursue. Our complaints and regrets overlook the fact that we need not accept this scenario. Human greed and domination are conditions we can ignore under the concept we have no choice. But the choice is ours to make.
People migrating, seeking a better life, an escape from persecution, demands a more compassionate and more serious reply. Our current draconian response is mass deportation and military deployments on the streets of American cities. These things happen because they can, not because they should. A scholarly written history describes ways to address today’s problems based on what happened previously. Optimistically providing a path to a better tomorrow not a repeat of yesterday.
Can we simply raise our hand and yell, “stop.” What many would prefer but not likely to be effective. About 250 years ago a group of people met in Philadelphia and engaged in a revolution. Their assignment was to revise the Article of Confederation to create a more effective governing system for the United States. The Articles were viewed as inadequate and in fact were quite weak. This group of “conspirators,” 39 delegates exceeded their mandate and produced our constitution. As revolutionary, as rebellious as this action was the debates resulted in the final document being signed by the delegates on September 17, 1787. It became the Constitution after the required nine states ratified it on June 21, 1788, with all 13 states eventually ratifying it by 1790.
We are not in Philadelphia, and it is not 1787. What power do we have today as people, as citizens. Those 39 delegates included a unique concept in the document that was prepared. It provided for elections by “we the people.” Their concept was somewhat restrictive limiting who qualified as we the people. As our nation matured the definition of we the people expanded beyond landowners to include African Americans (1870) and Women (1920).
Today any citizen age 18 or older can vote. That is power if we use it. In the election of 1860, when Abraham Lincoln was elected President over the opposition by the proponents of slavery the voter turnout was 80 per cent. In 2016, 61.4 percent of the citizen voting-age population reported voting. 40 percent of eligible voters in the US did not vote in the 2016 election. 66 per cent of voters in 2020 voted and in the 2024 presidential election 65.3% voted.
Using data from the University of Florida Election Lab, a new analysis by the Environmental Voter Project shows that 85.9 million eligible voters skipped the 2024 general election, far surpassing the 76.8 million ballots cast for Donald Trump or the 74.3 million for Kamala Harris. About 36% of the country’s voting-eligible population, did not vote in the 2024 general election. If “Did Not Vote” had been a presidential candidate, they would have beaten Donald Trump by 9.1 million votes, and they would have won 21 states, earning 265 electoral college votes to Trump’s 175 and Harris’s 98.
The amount of money raised by political candidates was huge in 2024. People contribute based on the belief that money makes winners. Roughly 160 million voters participated in 2024 while about 85 million did not vote. Money from neither party affected them. If many of us assume money wins then not voting has some validity. If we understand the power, we have as citizens at the ballot box perhaps then we would make every effort to vote. We can win and choose competent, qualified, caring people. The power of voters, we the people, far outweighs what money, even corporate political action committee money can achieve. The difference may be the wealthier people take the time to write a check. Minimal effort but it is effective. If we, each of us, take the time to go to our polling place or even less effort request an absentee ballot, then we can do what those 39 delegates achieved about 250 years ago. A revolution, a government actually elected by “We the People.” Let’s vote in 2026!
Phil's Personal Perspectives 