First steps of Beshear administration show what democracy looks like

A few weeks ago, I attended the inauguration. My feet were aching as we sat on cold plastic seats, and my face stung with the bitter cold of the wind. But there was something else in the air as I sat with my son awaiting the swearing in of Andy Beshear as the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He had run a campaign about change and there was hope in the air. I felt like we had been asking for a long time, what does democracy look like?

He took to the podium and I was brought to my feet in a loud, raucous cheer as he addressed his campaign promise to sign an executive order restoring the voting rights of 140,000 fellow Kentuckians who are currently denied that right as citizens because of their non-violent felon status. They have served their time and paid the cost to society that the judicial system deemed proper. In the spirit of redemption and reintegration into that society, I was overjoyed at this promise. This is what democracy looks like!

I was reminded of the very first op-ed I wrote for the Lexington Herald-Leader, in which I made the case for the restoration of felon voting rights. And I also remember some of the cynical responses to that editorial suggesting that it was all right to deny people the right to vote because they had committed a crime. Those responses neglected to take into account the long history of voter suppression as a codifying means of stripping away the political power from very specific demographic groups. It is a very targeted method of denying people the most fundamental right of a democratic society and the ability to hold elected officials accountable. What does Democracy look like?

It was easy to jump off my chair and cheer, as it was easy with the stroke of a pen for Governor Beshear days later to sign an executive order restoring those voting rights. But the fight is not over. There is still work to be done. A similar executive order signed by the elder Governor Beshear was easily undone when Matt Bevin sat as the chief executive of our Commonwealth. And he, with the stroke of a pen, erased the good intentions of his predecessor. We need a bill signed into law that permanently restores those rights. We cannot govern permanently by executive order. This is what democracy looks like!

There are approximately 1 million unregistered voters in Kentucky. We must do more to engage our citizenry. We need to make it easier to register to vote. We need to make it easier to vote — especially for our college students and the working class. We need to make sure that polling places are conveniently located and stay open long enough for people who work a 9 to 5 job to get to the polls. What does Democracy look like?

I am glad that Governor Beshear has restored voting rights to our fellow citizens. But I hope he will not stop there. I hope he will support an aggressive public education campaign. It is one thing to have your rights restored, it is another thing to understand how to avail yourself of your rights. Consider the case of Crystal Mason: she cast a provisional ballot while Texas considered her ineligible. She faces five years in prison for voter fraud unless her conviction is overturned on appeal.

I hope Governor Beshear will implement a campaign that clearly identifies citizens impacted by this executive order and provides a clear pathway for these citizens to register to vote. The executive order is just the first step; having an informed and engaged citizenry is the duty of us all. This is what democracy looks like!

As I capped off the night at the Inaugural Ball, dancing to “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas, I was surely ready for change. It was a good night. Hope was being realized. THIS is what democracy looks like.

Tina Bryson is a Lexington writer who can be reached at Soapboxdiaries50@gmail.com.