Op-ed: Democracy Prevails
Elections are always a polarizing time in America, but this year that sentiment was felt to an especially high degree. The strange nature of the election itself allowed more room for Americans to disagree, and disagree they did. Whether arguing about mail-in, absentee, or in person ballots the COVID-19 Pandemic caused unprecedented fighting to break out, both at home, and on the political landscape.
As he hinted at for a couple months, incumbant, soon to be former President Donald Trump fought the results. This fight came in the form of tweets, press releases, and legal claims. There were moments, especially in the days following the election, where democrats feared Trump would go to drastic, illegal measures to dispute the results. Trump’s behavior grew more and more erratic, and the attacks began to go further than most republicans could endorse. The attacks, although expected, shocked many. It was hard to believe that a sitting President of the United States could attack the foundation of our country, and beyond that still have support from a large portion of his base.
The attacks were dangerous in two ways: First, they galvanized Trump’s base behind an attack on American Democracy, and second, they threatened to undermine the count of legally cast ballots. The first issue is still unresolved. There are still rallies and protests happening around the country which support the undermining of our election. This furthers the polarization we see around the country.
According to an NPR survey, only 25% of Republicans trust the results of the election as of December. That number is a problem. This means that a significant portion of our nation doesn’t have faith in the election results, despite a lack of proof. This goes to show that Trump’s sway with his base is a great tool that has become a dangerous weapon.
There is, however, a postive in this situation: The Courts. Despite a barrage of political attacks, threats of violence, and anger from the President and his base, the American courts have held strong. Each time a baseless claim has come through the door in a federal court it has been shot down. It is clear that despite how polarized our nation has become, and how much politics seem to find their way into every facet of Government, the courts remain able to control proceedings in an unbiased manner. No amount of pressure can force our courts to compromise on the values of democracy, and that is something of which we can all be proud. Everyone in this nation, whether aligned with Democrats, Republicans, or something in between, enjoys the benefits of a free, democratic society, and although it is not perfect, and we are still trying to make it work for everyone, we should all seek to uphold those values, as the courts have done so well in recent weeks.