‘Last best hope of earth:’ After Trump, U.S. democracy clings to life.
The attack on the U.S. Capitol as members of Congress were certifying the election victory of Joe Biden was the most serious attack on our free system of government in American history. Our nation’s leader, who has constantly lied about the result of an election he clearly lost and has tried unsuccessfully to steal, incited this insurrection and then refused to do what was necessary to protect the Capitol. It was appalling, frightening, and sadly unsurprising.
Our Founders made an imperfect, but brilliant system of government. But it was also just an outline. As Benjamin Franklin remarked when asked what kind of government the Constitutional Convention gave the American people: “A republic if you can keep it.” To me that quote has always meant that our system of government is a leap of faith. That’s all it is. That the people and our leaders, while often disagreeing, would share a common belief in the democratic process and work to protect that form of government.
Until now we have never had a transfer of power that was not peaceful. That’s what makes this attack so serious. It wasn’t a foreign element or states that had seceded from the Union. It was by seditionists who were motivated, mobilized, and encouraged by the president who had sworn to uphold and protect our republic. While that is frightening and appalling, we should take comfort in knowing that it failed. Our democratic system of government survived the most serious attack on it in history. Whether you agree with them or not, Democrats and many Republicans refused to subvert and destroy our democracy for Donald Trump.
America is not perfect, never has been, and there is much that needs to be improved. Hopefully the double standard that was displayed Wednesday is now evident to all when it comes to the use of force against Americans and will engender necessary change. As President Reagan was fond of saying, “we are still that shining city upon the hill.” History and modern events show us that these attacks usually work. The fact that it failed is important not only to our freedom, but to freedom throughout the world. On the day he was assassinated, President Kennedy planned to deliver a speech that included these words, “We in this country are the watchmen on the walls of world freedom.” On Jan. 20, the man the American people decisively elected to be their president will be sworn into office while Donald Trump and his enablers will take their ignoble places in history.
I do not know if Joe Biden will be a good president. I fervently hope so because America desperately needs one. He may be the right man for the right moment. I do take comfort in knowing that some of our best presidents have followed our worst. Because of his attack on democracy Donald Trump is without question the worst president in American history and he has done significant damage to the United States. Even so I am hopeful for the future. There are still more good people than bad people in the world. There are more real patriots than the domestic terrorists who attacked the U.S. Capitol. We can and will live up to Lincoln’s belief that America is the “last best hope of earth.”
Jeremy Burba is a social studies teacher in Lexington.
This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 10:26 AM.