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Blog PostJuly 4, 2022
As we celebrate Independence Day, it’s important to note that although the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution that followed was imperfect, they have succeeded beyond what was imagined possible at the time. Our country’s explicitly stated values of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and breaking the chains of tyranny were a historic first. Not only did we inspire other democracies around the world; we set a high standard to which we hold our own government accountable.
And, in the two-hundred-plus years that followed that original declaration, our country has strived to live up to its promise and create what Abraham Lincoln called a “more perfect union” with a focus on freedom and the rights of all citizens. For many of us, the recent Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade feels like that progress has been stopped dead in its tracks. For the first time in our history, a federally protected right, the right to control one’s own reproduction, has been taken away by the Supreme Court. Is this the beginning of the end to our great democratic experiment?
Over the past few days, two relevant questions have emerged:
“How did this happen?” and “What can we do?"
The answer to the first question is complicated. Even with the progress we have made, women still do not have full rights under the law. The Equal Rights Amendment, though ratified, remains in limbo. A movement to reverse Roe v. Wade emerged the day the case was decided back in 1973, working quietly through the states and the courts, biding time for the right moment. Finally, with the last administration, that moment arrived.
Two other reasons that cannot be ignored are voter apathy and a lack of voter confidence in the major parties. The most recent general election in 2020 saw some of the highest voter turnout and yet a full one-third of eligible voters across the nation did not vote. And plenty of voters do not feel at home with either of the major parties. In Connecticut in 2021, 37% of voters were registered Democrats, 20% were registered Republicans, while 43% were either unaffiliated or registered with a minor party (Ballotpedia).
Regardless of WHY so many did not cast a ballot – whether due to apathy or cynicism – this abstention is a fundamental problem for our democracy because, as they say, “elections have consequences”.
But we are not powerless to change things for the better. Instead, we need to strengthen our resolve, put our heads down and keep working toward a more representative democracy, to ensure that the needs of the people are met and that voters have confidence in our electoral process.
And as citizens, we also realize that exercising our right to vote is a necessary but insufficient condition to realize a truly representative democracy. We need to continue demanding a seat at the table for everyone, using every tool available to us, including our vote.
As Ruth Bader Ginsberg said, “if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu”.
Laura Smits
President, League of Women Voters of Connecticut
League to which this content belongs:
Connecticut
