As we celebrate our nation’s independence, one wonders how history might have been different if our founding parents said, “Why bother?”
Imagine John Adams writing: “Abigail, I am coming home. These loyalists just don’t get it. Besides, we cannot defeat the British.”
It is easy to be cynical about our democracy. The U.S. Supreme Court is rolling back civil rights and environmental protections. Groups of extremists seek to ban books in libraries. The Idaho attorney general puts partisan politics before his elected duty to uphold Idaho’s Constitution, trying to squelch yet another citizen-led initiative. Yet the picture is not all negative. Hope remains alive and vibrant.
Two things happened in Idaho Falls in the last week that belie the cynic’s lure.
During Idaho Falls’ Pride day celebration, volunteers from an organization called Babe Votes shared the importance of electoral participation with anyone who took the time to listen. Volunteers register voters wherever young or marginalized people gather. Because of their efforts, more than 100 newly minted Idaho voters will influence future elections. How hopeful is that? People need not declare a party affiliation to become a voter. Anyone, without regard to race, religion, income or gender status can register to vote and learn about candidates and issues. No ideological purity tests on the voter registration card.
A second reason for hope comes through the efforts of two local legislators. Sens. VanOrden and Cook spent two long evenings listening to stakeholders about how best to manage the $4.2 billion Medicaid budget. What brings hope is the open and inquisitive way the senators sought input. Doctors, pharmacists, service providers and advocates took time to outline their concerns and suggest ways of making Medicaid better and more responsive while managing costs. Those in the room were solution focused. Medicaid serves infants, children, people with disabilities and senior citizens. It is integral to the health of our community.
The rhetoric of extremists that we can just cut the budget and throw people off the program was acknowledged but dismissed as unhelpful. Participants emphasized the need for clear and reasonable service metrics, transparent and accessible data, input from both providers and recipients, accountability and trust building as places to begin shaping future decisions.
Seeing young people register to vote gives hope for the future of our democracy. Experiencing our elected leaders listening to diverse perspectives encourages hope and trust in the political process. Listening to citizens respectfully advocate their positions on complex issues like Medicaid reminds us to hope for a better community.
If we give up on hope, the extremists win. That is the legacy of the Declaration of Independence. Our founding parents did not quit. They fought, suffered, argued and created one of the greatest experiments in human history. The legacy: All people are created equal. The hope: recognizing this innate equality will lead to freedom and hope for all.
Todd DeVries is a mental health professional and the state committeeman for the Bonneville County Democratic Central Committee.