Rev. Robert L. Montgomery, Ph.D
One of the most disturbing and dangerous recent developments in American society has been the increase in words supporting authoritarianism along with threats of violence against anyone who gets in their way. This language is dangerous because democracy is not just a way of governing a nation; democracy starts with and is undergirded by an attitude and spirit of cooperation among diverse people. People must want to have a democracy and be willing to compromise for the good of the nation. The democratic spirit begins with recognizing the equality of all people and their right to have an equal voice in our national politics.
The decay in the democratic spirit in America accompanied the rise of violent language from Donald Trump. This was followed by violent actions from his followers. We saw the unique attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6. This display of violence on Jan. 6 gave people a kind of freedom to express themselves with violent talk and behavior as never before. The rise in threatening messages and hate mail sent to political opponents is a strong denial of the democratic spirit. Aligning with the democratic spirit means remaining peaceful even when there are vigorous and strong disagreements.
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We know from our history that America contains within its population the capacity for strong disagreements and mutual opposition. In fact, in recent days some anti-democratic language has appeared even among American government officials and political pundits. A host on Fox news recently claimed that “elections don’t work” and that America may have no choice but to have another civil war. Others at right wing think tanks have pushed for an authoritarian president. One of the strangest notions has been to replace our president with a “Red Caesar.” Caesar is certainly not a model for a leader of a democracy.
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Many nations and peoples, such as in Russia, China, North Korea, the Middle East and Latin America have large populations that have had little opportunity to learn democratic self-government and very little experience in maintaining democracies. I know from living in or near such populations that most people in them just want to be left alone to make a living and are happy to leave governmental decisions to a single authoritative person. Learning to operate a democracy is a major challenge for leaders in the world, but America has a distinct problem itself with internal political and intellectual leaders who are turning toward authoritarianism and against democracy, mainly because they no longer believe democracy will consistently deliver them power.
America has become a country where a minority of people feel that they are losing influence and want to use non-democratic means to regain control over the nation. This is the nature of the current American problem that was initiated by a particular political leader, Donald Trump, who continues to deny that he lost an election for president and wants very much to win it back. He has authoritarian tendencies. His supporters realize that the major social forces in America will not allow Trump to win it back. These are the people who are talking about establishing an authoritarian government in which they will be able to dominate those they consider liberal and often call “socialists” and “communists.” These authoritarians know that such words bring out hatred and violence toward their opponents.
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The people who feel that they are losing control of America do not necessarily like Trump, but want to use his authoritarian personality and policies to reestablish their own authoritarian agenda. They want to neutralize the influence of the Voting Rights Act that empowered thousands of Americans to fully utilize their constitutional rights. People representing extreme right-wing views, such as white supremacists, feel they are losing influence or control in America and that liberals are gaining too much influence in society. We see this same fear in some religious groups causing divisions among members.
The democratic spirit respects and listens to those with whom they differ. It moderates the more extreme views in each political party and completely rejects violence. It recognizes that hate is a major force that poisons relationships and that tolerance and cooperation are necessary for a democratic society. Upholding the truth is necessary for a healthy democratic society to survive. We all must respect the outcome of free and fair elections in our democracy, no matter what it brings.
Rev. Robert L. Montgomery, Ph.D., lives in Black Mountain.
