My father, a retired political science professor, told me today that Thomas Jefferson said democracy needs a revolution every 20 years to survive. I looked it up:
Yet where does this anarchy exist? Where did it ever exist, except in the single instance of Massachusets? And can history produce an instance of a rebellion so honourably conducted? I say nothing of it's motives. They were founded in ignorance, not wickedness. God forbid we should ever be 20. years without such a rebellion.[1] The people can not be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. We have had 13. states independant 11. years. There has been one rebellion. That comes to one rebellion in a century and a half for each state. What country ever existed a century and a half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve it's liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants - THomas Jefferson - November 1787.
Let me be clear about something. I am a pacifist, up until and perhaps including the absolute final crossroads of life and death. So, while this quote drips in blood still fresh from the United States revolution against England, I believe the revolutions going forward would be best served following the non-violent leads of Ghandi and MLK. That is the revolution I am speaking of here. He uses old, convulated language, but the message of Jefferson in the famous "Tree of Liberty" quote is clear. WIthout a constant threat that the people may rise up and revolt, a democracy dies a slow death of complacency.
We are overdue. And by "We" i don't mean democrats or republicans, disaffected blue collar Trump supporters, or youthful voices speaking up to end oppression of black people, lgbtq people, the poor, etc. I mean We the People of the United States of America. It’s time to take our country back, which means we need to start getting really comfortable with conflict — in our families, our neighborhoods, our churches, and even within our own perceived ideological silos.
The thing about revolutions, is that they mean change, not just a single side of the political spectrum winning or losing. It just means enough people are uncomfortable with the way things are that they want things to be different . There has been an absolute rejection of the establishment, and a war on complacency - an important connection between Bernie supporters and Trump supporters.
I think it is safe to say that America want something different right now. The interesting thing is that there are very different visions of what needs to happen. The one thing that can't happen, however, is complacency.
So here is how I propose for us to become involved in the coming Revolution. It's time to bring back yard signs and bumper stickers. It's time to have bold conversations with our neighbors - those who agree with us and those who do not - in person (not just online), by having each other over for coffee or dinner, and realizing that we're going to disagree with each other, say unintentionally hurtful things to each other, and have to figure out how we're going to agree, and how we're going to disagree. We need to grow up a little and figure things out for ourselves in this playground called American Democracy.
We have held back from political discourse because we don't want to appear too political in front of our neighbors. We are imprisoned by fear that people won't like us, and discussing politics is just going to drive people way. But we no longer have that luxury. We are in a time of politics because it is in our face from all sides, and because it is changing, and power is realigning in every way imaginable in our nation. We need to be involved, at the very least so the end product is more balanced, but also because we have so much to gain, and lose, right now.
Yes it's possible that my neighbor may put up in "all lives matter" sign across from my "black lives matter" sign, but we should not let our fear of conflict get in the way of our civic responsibility of political discourse. We need to learn how to organize around things we care about, and disagree with kindness and grace.
For me, it's also about showing my friends who are in fear right now that they are not alone. I recognize for others, it may be about a set of ideols with which I do not agree. However, if we are truly a democracy, then the last thing we should fear is appearing political. Democracy is all about people being political. And it will only survive if people are willing to revolt because they love it so much.