Democracy's Darker Side

Faith in the Public Square
Lompoc Record
April 13, 2008

I believe in democracy and think it's the best political system around. In theory, it empowers us to take control of our lives, but if it's to work we must take responsibility for our lives and actions. Freedom and responsibility are the two sides of democracy, and an effective democracy requires that these two be kept in balance. Or, as St. Paul said: “‘All things are lawful for me,' but not all things are beneficial” (1 Corinthians 6:12).

Democracy is the one system of government that offers citizens the opportunity to join in governance. Even if the process is confusing and at times inane, we get to choose our leaders. It may seem like this year's political process continues on without end, and this is, of course, just the beginning - we still have November to contend with. When we get to that point we'll not only have the candidates from the two major parties, but a myriad of others to choose from. While it's unlikely that a third party candidate will become president, an increasing number of Americans now describe themselves as Independents. These individuals aren't easy to classify, but they'll have an opportunity to sway the upcoming election(s). Democracy is, as we've all experienced, messy.

With all of its benefits, democracy has its dark side, which is rooted in the fact that we must entrust our lives - as the electorate - to the whims of our fellow citizens. We who vote are fallible women and men and the people we choose to represent us are equally fallible. It's interesting that despite the cries of the citizenry about a corrupt and unresponsive government, we tend to be pleased with those who represent us. It's the other person's choice who is the problem.

We see this dark side in the way we go about choosing a candidate. Effective democracy, especially in its purest forms, requires a diligent and informed electorate. Voters need to have the time, the education, and the inclination to look into the issues, as well as the backgrounds, values and views of the candidates.
In real life, numerous factors influence our choices, some of which may be less than honorable. It could be the way a candidate speaks or looks. We may take into consideration a candidate's gender, race, or age. Fear is a potent influence - and candidates and parties are very adept at exploiting it. Then there are the promises candidates make, promises that often pander to our prejudices or sense of entitlement. Too often we vote our own self-interest at the expense of our neighbors. That is, altruism often takes a back seat to me-firstism. We may voice our support for the biblical premise that we're to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, but too often love of self comes before love of neighbor.

Propaganda is a dirty word when it comes to the political system, but propaganda can have a potent effect on our voting habits. Indeed, we have a propensity for being swayed by misinformation, which is why campaigns throw mud. Sometimes it's subtle - maybe a commercial that makes use of half-truths or out-of-context statements. This misinformation can also be very explicit and be spread virally via e-mail or blogs - with the source of the information an unknown. The most obvious example from this election cycle is the continued whisper campaign that suggests that Barack Obama is a Muslim, when in fact he is a Christian. As long as we allow ourselves to be influenced by such misinformation, it will continue to haunt us. The only way to stop such distortions is for us to do the necessary fact-checking. That, however, takes both time and education.

Talk of spreading democracy to the far corners of the globe seems like a good idea, but it's important to remember that democracy has its dark side. And remember too that even with two-plus centuries of practice, we haven't perfected the system. There may not be a better system of governance, but because democracy relies on people, and people according to my theology aren't perfect, this system will never be perfect. The founders of our nation understood this well, which is why they instituted checks and balances. Besides these checks and balances, we can find hope in grace. We have a chance to grow in our practice of democracy if we learn to extend to one another the grace that has been given to us.

Dr. Bob Cornwall is pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Lompoc (www.lompocdisciples.org). He blogs at http://pastorbobcornwall.blogspot.com and may be contacted at faithinthepublicsquare@gmail.com or c/o First Christian Church, P.O. Box 1056, Lompoc, CA 93438.
April 13, 2008

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