Anyone who attends our Northville Democratic Club meetings has heard me read from On Tyranny – Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder. Professor Snyder’s lesson guided us as we lived under the creeping autocracy of our past president.
With hope from the election of President Biden, I ceremoniously retired On Tyranny at our November 25, 2020 meeting, confident that we had indeed saved democracy. But as President Biden reminded us, “democracy is fragile”. The pro-Trump Republican insurrection on January 6th shook us to our core.
Professor Snyder wasn’t surprised by the insurrection. As he wrote in “The American Abyss” (New York Times Magazine, 1-17-21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/09/magazine/trump-coup.html), Trump presented himself as the source of truth, attacked the media, and lied with abandon. Most Republicans support the ‘big lie’ that Trump won the election, setting a precedent for upcoming elections and future coups. Professor Snyder calls out the systemic racism – the big lie that the election was stolen by black people voting.
As Democrats, we must continue fighting for democracy. That will include holding the pro-Trump Republican terrorists accountable, strengthening our democratic institutions, and eliminating racism for a more just America. We must demand good government that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. Our work continues.
The Northville Democratic Club will continue to organize – our democracy still needs saving.