2024 Thanksgiving Thoughts: The Light Of Democracy Still Shines
This Thanksgiving we are thankful that the light of our American democracy still shines.
That was the opening sentence of our Thanksgiving blog, written after the 2022 mid-term elections. Even though we are not happy with who won the presidency, it is the opening sentence for our Thanksgiving blog this 2024 election year as well. Here’s why.
In 2022, we described the electoral environment as follows:
Much of the media in the period from Labor Day in September until the midterm elections on November 8 was consumed with politically-related coverage. That coverage featured stories about: an American people who were polls and poles apart; crazies and conspiracy theorists; threats and intimidations of election officials and workers; voter suppression versus voter expression; lawsuits alleging fraud and electoral illegalities; concerns about polling place violence; candidates battering each other; and endless attack ads.
We then stated:
We are thankful now that these elections are over. We are very thankful that, in the main, the elections came off without incident, losers conceded and congratulated the winners, and the common good and common sense prevailed. We are most thankful for everyone who performed their civic duty and voted.
Fast forward to the 2024 presidential election cycle, which has been even more tumultuous than the 2022 election cycle. In spite of this, we are thankful for the same reasons we were in 2022 — and for five others.
First, we are thankful that even though the contest for the presidency was extremely combative and contentious, there will a peaceful transfer of power.
Vice President Kamala Harris pledged that in her concession speech on November 6 after losing to president-elect Donald J. Trump. And President Joe Biden affirmed that pledge in his comments on the loss of the presidency on November 7.
In her remarks, Harris stated:
A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. And anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it.
Vice President Harris proceed to point out that, “…in our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States…”
Second, we are thankful for the Constitution of the United States. We are thankful that it provides a firm but flexible platform for the evolution of our democracy and democratic Republic. Without it, we, the people, would never have been able to achieve the things we have over the nearly 250 years of existence of this nation or to move forward toward the “more perfect union” envisioned by our founders.
Third, we are thankful that the voices of “working class” Americans were heard. Those citizens spoke out to let us know that because of inflation, immigration, and other factors, the American dream was at risk for them.
As we noted in our book, Renewing the American Dream, “The fundamental elements of the dream are getting educated and working hard in order to have a good job that pays decent wages, provides adequate benefits, puts food on the table, a roof over one’s head, and allows for retirement with dignity.”
It is unquestionable that in 2024 this dream was out of reach for a large percentage of Americans. As importantly, polling showed that the vast majority of citizens felt the country and economy was headed in the wrong direction.
Fourth, we are thankful for the citizens in states in this election cycle who voted to protect their rights and to improve their living conditions. Voters in seven out of 10 states where abortion rights were on the ballot voted to approve them. Voters in two states voted to increase the minimum wage to $15/hr.
Fifth, we are thankful that because of their involvement in and with their communities, U.S. senators and representatives in the U.S. House kept their seats and/or significantly outperformed the national Democratic ticket.
In addition to those reasons, we remain thankful for reasons that we have cited in our past Thanksgiving blogs. They include:
- The four freedoms: freedom of speech and expression; freedom for every person to worship God in her or his own way; freedom from want; and freedom from fear.
- The fact that America is a nation of immigrants. Through the decades and centuries, immigrants of all races, religions, and economic backgrounds from around and across the globe have made invaluable contributions to making the United States the great country it has become.
- The progress made in spite of the trying times and polarized and divided nature of the United States, due to the work of citizens from all walks of life and dedicated public servants.
Finally, this Thanksgiving we are thankful for the concerned citizens who will fight. Fight not with each other! But fight to bring us together to:
- Find common ground through compromise and collaboration
- Protect democracy against autocracy
- Move the nation forward rather than backward
- Ensure a fairer and more equal society
- Create a more perfect union
We are realistic. We know this fight will not be an easy one, because some of the people nominated for leadership positions in Trump’s cabinet, and the proposed policies and practices of the incoming Trump administration, divide and separate us as citizens rather than unifying us.
We understand, however, that it will be essential in order to continue the American experiment, which has produced the most successful democracy in the history of the world and helped forge and promote democratic values worldwide.
In closing, we leave you with these thoughts. Fighting is not un-American. This nation was founded by those willing to fight for their rights.
On December 23, 1776, during the darkest days of the Revolutionary War, Thomas Paine wrote: “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from their service; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
On November 7, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris, in her concession speech, declared, “the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”
We are confident that America’s promise will continue to burn bright because of committed and concerned citizens who will not shrink from their service and will keep fighting. That is why we end this blog, as we began it. By stating:
This Thanksgiving we are thankful that the light of our American democracy still shines.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Originally published by the Frank Islam Institute for 21st Century Citizenship. For more information on what 21st century citizenship entails, and to see exemplars from around the world, please visit our website.
