Stewardship of Democracy
Our democratic republic is damaged. It is up to us to repair it. A more perfect union doesn’t just happen — we create it.
Jamie McLeod-Skinner is an engineer, planner, and attorney working in wildfire recovery to build resilient and equitable communities.
Our democratic republic is damaged. It is up to us to repair it. A more perfect union doesn’t just happen — we create it.
Of course you have examples of where it has failed — we all do. And these times are complicated: it seems you fail if you try, so why try?
When I struggle with this, reflecting back gives me perspective.
The Best, Imperfect Form of Government
Prior to Oregon, I spent part of my childhood in Tanzania. A small town American kid on the other side of the planet, attending the school where my mom taught. It was incredible, until the brutal dictator Idi Amin in neighboring Uganda began killing his own his citizens — absolute power corrupts absolutely. The flood of refugees to my classroom introduced me to new friends. Their stories profoundly shaped my belief in the requirement for integrity in governance.
High school in Southern Oregon showed me politics can be passionate — logging versus spotted owls — without people being killed. Coming out as a young adult made my personhood political, and I was impatient with the long arc of history bending too slowly.
It wasn’t until I was a young engineer managing the reconstruction of schools and hospitals in post-war Bosnia and Kosovo that I overcame my cynicism for our form of government — not because it is always good, but because of its potential and promise.
Naïve? You lose claim to naivete once you have worked amid bullet-riddled buildings and sat in the home of a family telling you of having to identify their son in a mass grave. Your petulance is humbled by reality. Seeing hopeless resignation to state-directed violence develops a sober appreciation for the possibility of running for office, making change, and demanding a peaceful transfer of power. To this day, it makes me emotional.
These experiences led me to believe we have the best, imperfect form of government there is. It’s up to us to make it live up to its potential.
The Promise vs. Practice of Democracy
My respect for our form of government is not a “my country, right or wrong” philosophy. It’s the opposite. Our flag represents a promise — life, liberty, rights, justice. Our challenge is to help our country achieve that promise.
For the starry-eyed, democracy is like parenthood. Yes, it’s precious; you also have to deal with poopy diapers, defiant teenagers, and tough decisions. Like a rollercoaster, it can be thrilling or make you nauseous.
The practice of a healthy democratic republic is hard. It starts with free, fair, and safe elections. Respect for each of its distinct roles and responsibilities — public, staff, management, and policy maker — is important for it to work.
This can demand much of us — patience when we are frustrated, steadfastness when we are betrayed, and commitment to process even when the result makes our blood boil. Our challenge is not to dwell on where it has fallen short but to make it live up to its promise.
In the end, finding our better selves and honoring this gift we have been given — the potential for a workable democracy — will determine our legacy.
Requires Our Stewardship
As the saying goes, democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires our participation and expectation of accountability — even for those on “our team.”
Don’t delegate your responsibility to a political party. Their job isn’t honesty.
Accountability is crucial for the survival of democracy. Kudos to folks like Liz Cheney for sacrificing status to speak the truth, even if it means calling out your team. While I could argue policy all day with Oregon Republican Legislators, I stand in respect for their vote to cast out one of their one rather than put our state government at risk. That’s stewardship.
It doesn’t end there. Process matters. Honesty matters.
Democracy cannot survive without the truth. Social media algorithms and boutique media are a blessing and a curse — they customize our experience but commit us to ideological silos with their spin.
We must not delegate our responsibility to political machinery. We have all seen the hypocrisy of posturing versus behavior.
Our stewardship of this great, imperfect form of government — that enables us to get involved, influence, advocate, vote, and even run for office — is how we retain our right to be wrong.
Be Comfortable with Discomfort
Outside the United States, many people covet the audacious American belief that our opinion matters. We should treasure that.
We have lost sight of the value of our right to think differently. I’m not talking about infringing on another’s rights, but that we can see the world differently. It’s as close as family. My uncle is one of the most conservative people I know; my aunt, one of the most liberal. They have argued to the point of not speaking. I know them to have been both kind and difficult — and I love them both dearly.
When I listen to Oregonians across our state, I hear the voices of my aunt and uncle. We are a complicated cluster — all capable of kindness and cruelty.
The value of our great, imperfect form of government is not that it removes our differences, but gives us a foundation to discuss them.
You do not abandon your values by listening to different perspectives and treating others with respect — you reinforce them.
With democracy faltering, we face a choice: political clique or common ground, even if it means being uncomfortable.
Be courageous. Talk with someone who thinks differently. Be patient with their mistakes. Our reward is creating safe space for our own views.
This is worth our investment of stewardship. Some days, it can be tough to have faith in the promise of a better Oregon. But I still do.
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