Democracy is Relationship
Thursday February 15, 2024 by Christopher Jordan

Relationships can be rewarding in their capacity to provide an environment where all parties can find benefit. They can also be challenging. They are sustained through communication and compromise. When neither is present, they can fail.

A relationship may be something we choose to form, or simply find ourselves part of. Those that we purposely form generally take consideration. A decision is made based on thoughtful analysis of the individuals’ capacity to communicate and compromise with one another in order for all to find some benefit in their joining together. These can be simple, like a marriage; or more complex, like a corporation.

There are relationships we find ourselves in by default as we may be born into them, as in a family or a Nation. There are relationships we may join in to as an individual, become part of a larger organization of individuals, such as a team, a work force, or an armed force. In these cases, these organizations were previously thought out, with all aspects considerately planned. They may have been formed for a singular purpose, or created with the intension of being a lasting endeavor.

As our parents created a union and formed a family, so did our Nation. While divorce does happen, I suspect there has been no one who stood at the altar uttering, “Till death do us part,” who thought, “This things’ going to tank sooner or later.” Maybe it’s my naivete, but I’m thinking our forefathers, when forming, “A more perfect Union,” didn’t set out to create, “One Nation under God,” with the expectation of certain failure. Although, apparently, they were also unsure of absolute success. Still, our Nation was created with much forethought and debate. It was carefully planned to ensure a balance in leadership and management of all operations necessary to sustain a well-functioning organization.

Our Nation is us. It is our relationship with each other. As it is a relationship with great opportunities that all may benefit from, it seems to me a relationship worth maintaining. I am not ignorant of the fact that, as in all forms of relationship, some parties will attempt to gain a more dominant position. That is one of the aspects of our human nature that exists, like it or not. As in any relationship, it is important for all parties to pay attention to its progression, and communicate effectively, clearly and non-combatively, their observations and desired actions.

I will admit that I have seen some relationships functioning so poorly that I’ve wondered how they came together in the first place. My parents divorced after thirty-two years of marriage, I was present for the last twenty-seven of those. I was more surprised that it persisted than that it ended. It was not formed thoughtfully. Our Nation was. I for one, think it’s worth preserving.

My siblings and I are our parents’ legacy. For this I am grateful. “We the People,” are the legacy of our forefathers’. Their spirits reside in the Constitution. Our freedoms are a by-product of the wisdom of its organization and thoughtful execution. I see no other way to express our gratitude than to consciously uphold it. Remembering also, that it was designed to be amended to represent those changes in society that reflect the will of the People. How will we know what the will of the People is? Listen, discuss, communicate. Let us live in a healthy relationship with mutual respect for one another. Let us be willing to really know one another. How? Listen, discuss, communicate. Can we achieve social harmony? Are we even willing to try? We are a family. As in all families, things aren’t always hunky-dory, but our Democracy is a relationship worth working on.