The Crossroads of Democracy

We are now voting and counting the ballots for the 2024Presidential election. As late as this morning of national polls reminded us of the intense divide, yet we are also reminded that some of these polls can't betaken as definitive. So, which is it? For weeks now, we’ve been hearing rhetoric framing this as one of the closest election races in history, between two candidates with vastly different backgrounds—one of whom will be president by the time you read this E Notes.

First, the candidates are of opposite genders: the former president is male, while his opponent, the 46th Vice President, is female.Their backgrounds couldn’t be more distinct. He grew up wealthy, inheriting a sizable estate and venturing into entertainment, where he seemed to excel. She, on the other hand, grew up in a middle-class family, was college-educated, and pursued a career in law. He is white, while she is of Black and East Indian descent. His career has been rooted in real estate, while hers has been in law, having served as a prosecutor in American government. He is often described as crude, brash, and insensitive in his remarks about the multiracial, multicultural, and multi-religious fabric of America, while she tends to be more respectful of these differences—except when discussing her opponent.

Perhaps the most striking difference is that each candidate's supporters genuinely believe they are fighting for the future of democracy, a perspective that is defined differently by the red and the bluevoters. Bottomline our democracy is seen as precariously at stake. This election’s razor-thin margins are perplexing to many, me included.

When President Joe Biden announced he would not seek reelection and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate, the clear contrast between former president Donald Trump and VicePresident Harris became even more apparent. The former president was presented as a convicted felon; the other, a former prosecutor and Attorney General ofCalifornia. One is approaching 80 and doesn’t appear as robust as he did in20216, while the other is middle-aged and demonstrates both mental sharpness and decorum fitting for the highest office in the land. One candidate’s closing messages were laced with declarations of a broken America that he will make great again laced with fear mongering sentiments, while the other warned against fascism and other threats to democracy, urging Americans to strive for a better tomorrow.

At this moment, its unclear which message, or which candidate, will resonate most with voters. However, What I know to be true is that no matter who the president is we must remember that the American people hired him or her. We hope that it is because they did so because they think that their choice is the most prepared to lead America. We then must hold them to task just as we must do with Congress.

In previous, ENotes as far back at 2016 I have always expressed the power of the American people. I presented our role and our responsibility in remaining actively involved with those who we elect to work on our behalf because it's essential to our humanity, our societal cohesion and the continuation of our democracy.

Moving forward includes the preservation of memory—the good, the bad and the ugly. We cannot forget or erase January  6, 2020. We cannot forget that our Capitalwas attacked, that Vice President Pence was in danger, that some gallows had been built to hang him  because he refused to break the law.  

Our trust in the rule of law and a peaceful transfer of power has been challenged and tainted yet we must fight to uphold it

We must elevate ourselves to respect those who think differently than ourselves and yet speak our truth and seek what is good for the country, for unity, for democracy.

Where does this leave us . . .

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