Time for Reflection | Breaking Big Money's Grip on America

Back home in New Mexico after a month in Panama. It felt like another world there, and for the most part, it was. Above all, my trip gave me the time and space to reflect on the past, more clearly see the present, and imagine future possible directions around the next bend or two. Not just for my future, but for my relationship with my partner Margaret, for the various communities I’m part of, and for our country.

I highly recommend finding the time and space to take such a journey. It was a truly valuable experience for me. And, you don’t have to go all the way to exotic Panama to do it. Just set aside a day or two in a quiet place in your home or somewhere nearby.

The most insightful realization I received on my trip is that I need to slow down. Being in Lago Bay certainly pointed me in the right direction. But given the critical nature of this year’s elections, truly slowing down to a relaxed, simple pace is not likely to happen until I’ve done whatever I can to affect the November results.

There are only seven months until this monumental election. That the outcome of this year’s voting could be the demise of our democratic republic form of government is just, well, hard to believe. If you have any doubts about that, you are not alone. Doubt is good, but we cannot let it stop us from doing whatever we can to ensure that such a calamity does not befall our country.

While many people agree with this assessment, I often hear them say, “I’m only one person. What can I do that will make a difference?” Well, millions of us pulling together can make a huge difference. In the swing states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) where the election will most likely be decided, a relatively small number of votes will put one candidate over the top.

Our phone calls, postcards, door knocking, texts, and emails to undecided and reluctant voters can make all the difference. We don’t want to be saying after Election Day, “If only I had spent one more day campaigning or made 20 more phone calls…” or whatever. Now is the time to resolve to go the extra mile to ensure our democratic republic survives the Trump-led onslaught by the far right.

Personally, I am still weighing my options. I may go work for Biden and the Democrats running for Congress in Arizona or Pennsylvania. And/or sign up for regular phone banking in one or more of the swing states. I just know I don’t want to one day be telling my grandchildren, “I could have done more to save our country from authoritarian rule.” Once I’ve done everything I can to help save our country, then it will be time to really slow down as I approach my 80^th birthday.

Bruce Berlin

A retired, public sector ethics attorney, Berlin is the author of Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America (See breakingbigmoneysgrip.com.), the founder of New Mexicans for Money Out of Politics, a former U.S. Institute of Peace fellow, and the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution. He can be reached at breakingbigmoneysgrip@gmail.com.

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Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sunset this evening. For Jews, it’s a time for reflection, examining one’s life, making amends to those we’ve harmed and starting over with a fresh slate. Clearly, it’s an exercise that we all could benefit from engaging in.

While Rosh Hashanah focuses on our personal lives, it can also be a time when we look at our larger roles in our communities and in our nation. What have I been doing, or not done, to assist my community? What have I been doing, or not done, to support my country’s efforts to remain a democracy?

As we approach the critical November elections, I feel these questions are particularly pertinent. Though the issue of the future of American democracy will not explicitly be on the ballot, it casts a huge shadow over this fall’s elections.

There’s no question that democracy is under attack around the country. The January 6^th assault on the Capitol with the intent to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election is just the most blatant example. In the last year, there have been “more than 1,000 threats to election officials…, with more than 100 of them meeting the threshold for a federal criminal investigation. More than half of the potentially criminal threats were in highly contested states where allies of ousted President Trump tried to overturn the results, such as in Arizona, Georgia, Colorado, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin.”[1]

With only six weeks until election day, it’s time to quickly reflect on what we’ve been doing to safeguard our democracy, and then determine what we can do in these last few weeks to help fix the damage that has been done to our country. Here are some suggestions:

Whether you are a Republican, Independent or Democrat, don’t vote for any Republican candidate and encourage everyone you know to do the same. Given the widespread Republican efforts to thwart democracy and win at all costs, electing any Republican will only strengthen the party’s ability to advance toward authoritarian rule. As Jill Lawrence of USA Today asserted, “the Republican Party is on a dark path and should not hold power anywhere until it comes back into the light.”[2]
Urge your state and local law enforcement officers to take every precaution to ensure the safety of poll workers and other election officials, as well as to make sure that the elections are free and fair. Intimidation of elections officials cannot be tolerated.[3]
Write letters to the editor explaining why our democracy is at risk and that everyone who cares about the future of our democracy must vote for Democrats.
Support Democrats running for office, especially for Congress and Secretaries of State who oversee elections. Here in New Mexico, we have the opportunity to turn a red Congressional seat blue. Contribute to and work for Gabe Vasquez, the Democrat running in District 2 against MAGA Republican Rep. Yvette Herrell. Go to https://gabeforcongress.com/ to get involved in his campaign.

Time is running out. In the spirit of Rosh Hashanah, we need to reflect on our less than full support for democracy. Then, step up and give it everything we can in these last six weeks to ensure its survival. As Ben Franklin said when asked about the form of government the founding fathers were creating, “A democracy, if you can keep it.”[4] And keep it, we must.

Bruce Berlin, J.D.

[1] https://blog.ucsusa.org/derrick-jackson/democracy-under-attack-confronting-mounting-threats-to-us-election-workers/

[2] https://www.yahoo.com/news/care-country-rights-dont-vote-110005774.html

[3] https://blog.ucsusa.org/derrick-jackson/democracy-under-attack-confronting-mounting-threats-to-us-election-workers/

[4] https://www.forbes.com/quotes/9010/