There are growing problems with what we call our democratic republic. They go far beyond the concerns of a majority of voters over the mental and physical “fitness” of the aging Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

                     
Photo-illustration by Alex Cochran. Source: Getty.

We've never had an authentic democracy or democratic republic since the founding of our nation. However, our institutional democracy has become increasingly deaf, blind, forgetful, confused and immobile.  

The gap between public demands for addressing big problems (i.e. affordable health care, drug addiction, budget deficit, illegal immigration, gun violence, crime, climate change) and the lack of laws addressing those problems remain wide. A majority of elected officials listen more to funders than voters. A major cause is the flood of money in politics, thanks to the “constitutional rights” of corporations to donate politically and money defined as “free speech,” that reduces the voice of people without money to be heard. 

Many “leaders” are blind to growing economic, environmental and social realities. They can’t see or acknowledge the historic economic inequality, permanent war economy and military presence in most nations, commitment to perpetual economic growth (accomplished by boiling the planet by burning fossil fuels pushed for by fossil fuel corporations) and rising public distrust in themselves; nor accept that our nation is becoming more multicultural. Courts, including the Supreme Court, have their own ideological and, in some cases, financial blinders in generally upholding or ignoring corporate power, racial discrimination, voter disempowerment, and ecological destruction. The corporate media (including social media) stokes fear and performs their own duty to the corporate state to distort, distract and disinform the public away from these realities while profiting by fueling polarization and focusing coverage on the “horserace” of political elections.

The lack of memory across society of the inherent racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and other oppressions and injustices that in many cases go back to our nation’s founding continues to prevent equal rights and full participation – to the extent many ever learned and retained it all to begin with. Too many of us have forgotten the massive grassroots movements of those who came before us to create legal and constitutional rights for African Americans, women, indigenous people, indentured servants, LGTBQ individuals, the poor, differently abled, young people and others. This has led to a roll back of voting rights for African Americans, violence toward trans individuals, calls by the current Speaker of the House and right wing extremists for strict gender hierarchy of men over women, efforts to limit voting by students, and recent Supreme Court decision attacking the houseless. 

Our democracy is laced with confusion and contradictions. Voting is frequently defined as the sole source of citizen engagement. Claims are made that more money spent in elections increases democracy, making voting more difficult increases election integrity, power is best further concentrated in the executive branch, capitalism (rather than economic democracy) and political democracy go hand-in-hand, and that it's best to let corporate media and social media define constitutionally protected “free speech” And maybe the two most confusing and contradictory assertions by the Supreme Court and its apologists of our claimed democracy is “a corporation is a person” and “money equals free speech.”

Finally, our democracy lacks the agility to appropriately and promptly address current needs of people, communities and a livable world – such as an Economic Bill of Rights, rights of nature, and many pro-democracy radical reforms, including enacting the We the People Amendment (HJR54).

Our basic ruling document, the U.S. Constitution, is THE most difficult to amend of any on earth. Its lack of a citizen initiative process allowing We the People to directly amend the Constitution (similar to what exists in several dozen states) means we must depend on Congress or state legislatures to pass amendments. Neither body seems up to the task given the legalized bribery of money in politics and gerrymandering allowing public officials to choose their voters rather than voters choosing their public officials.

The President is now immune from criminal prosecution following the Supreme Court decision that shields lawbreaking presidents and undermines democracy...as well as won't face charges that he mishandling classified documents.

And the Supreme Court itself is more powerful thanks to overturning the Chevron doctrine which now allows courts to take over and decide regulatory cases from federal agencies like the EPA and FDA, despite them lacking the expertise and staffing.

Our responses 

With our democratic institutions and structures decreasingly capable of responding to the scale of our urgent needs, it’s up to us to educate, advocate and organize for the We the People Amendment, but also in solidarity with others who seek other fundamental democratic changes. 

This is exactly what we’ve been doing in 2024. Your involvement in pressuring your Congressperson to cosponsor HJR54 is the main reason we’ve been able to recruit 85 Congressional co-sponsors (and counting) – despite the incredible distractions Congress has faced this congressional session. And your financial support has allowed us to attend conferences, rallies, marches and next month the Democratic National Convention where we’ve met and will meet allies from other organization who are increasingly coming to understand what you and we have been saying for years:

√ We must end the massive sums of money in politics that’s silencing our voices and needs

√ We have to abolish corporate rule in all of its forms

√ We have to focus on constitutional change, not just on elections or lobbying for better laws and regulations.

No year like this year has revealed the reality of the above. And no time like the present time has called for us to be the change we want and need to make. It’s up to us – as it always has been!

Onward in creating a democracy that we all deserve,

Shelly, George, Daniel, Margaret, Michael, Jessica, Katie, Keyan, Jennie, Tara, Cole, Alfonso, Jason & Greg

Move to Amend National Team
https://www.movetoamend.org/