The Death Of Democracy

The GOP's alarming rejection of democracy and freedom.

The recent events in Texas, Florida, and Tennessee highlight the fragility of democracy in America. Publicly elected officials of the Houston ISD School Board are being removed by the Republican State Government and will be replaced by unelected Republican appointees. Peaceful protestors in Florida have been arrested for exercising their right to free speech and assembly. And elected officials in Tennessee are being expelled from office for speaking out against gun violence during one of the largest protests of young people in history.

These actions are a disturbing trend toward eroding democratic principles and suppressing dissenting voices. Moreover, the negative outcomes are being seen in real-time as power becomes concentrated in a few individuals or groups who may not be accountable to the people they govern.

Republicans are working hard to create a culture of fear and intimidation, where those in power can act with impunity without fear of reprisal. This will end transparency and accountability in government, as those in power will not be held accountable for their actions.

The removal of duly elected officials in Texas.

This directly attacks Black and brown communities in Houston, as HISD is 22% Black and 62% Hispanic, and this is what the Republican government looks like:

To understand more about the role race and class play in the HISD takeover, I recommend reading “Considering Race, class and Power in Texas Education Agency’s Takeover of Houston Independent School District” by Houston Public Media.

The takeover is a racist political stunt by a right-wing government. The lack of transparency and community involvement is a preview of how TEA will work to disempower Houston’s communities of color.

While the anti-democratic grab is being manufactured as an education crisis, it’s about preventing people of color from having political power.

Next on Education Commissioner Mike Morath’s radar: Austin.

After that: Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, Fort Worth, and any other city that elects Democrats or people of color to their School Board.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried was arrested during an abortion bill protest.

Last night, Florida Democrats, including Party Chair Nikki Fried and Senate minority leader Lauren Book were arrested in Tallahassee for peacefully protesting the GOP legislature’s 6-week abortion ban.

While the First Amendment gives us the right to protest, in the free state of Florida peacefully, thought crimes are the most severe offenses.

In Florida, Ron DeSantis is willfully and forcefully destroying democracy in favor of an authoritarian rule. It’s been speculated that DeSantis and Greg Abbott are in a race to the bottom to see who could inflict the most harm on his state. Of course, the winner will be the presumable front-runner of the Republican presidential primary race.

In Tennessee, three lawmakers are being illegally ousted for joining 10,000 youth protesting in their Capitol.

It’s not a coincidence that two lawmakers are Black, and one is a woman. We should all pay attention to what’s happening in the Tennessee legislature. If the GOP successfully removes these three members, it will be a blueprint for all red states to remove elected officials.

All three members have been stripped from committee assignments, and their member IDs have already been shut off. This is not what democracy looks like.

Unironically, Texas Republicans already have similar measures up their sleeve.

At the beginning of the legislative session, Republicans introduced a new rule stating that if Democrats broke quorum, they would be removed from committees and possibly ousted from the House.

At a recent town hall, I had the chance to ask Representative Chris Turner about this rule. He pointed out the unconstitutionality of it. That’s why watching what’s happening in Tennessee is so important. Don’t underestimate the lengths the GOP will take to remain in power.

Today’s GOP rejects both democracy and freedom. Instead, they embrace violence and seek to force their religion upon us by law.

Republicans in Texas are banning books, free speech, and history. They’re defunding libraries while threatening teachers and pushing for religious teachings in school. And they’re restricting healthcare for women and transgender individuals, forcing births, and threatening doctoral.

We each have an up and close view of the erosion of democratic principles. We all must pay attention to the developments in other red states, as well as our own. The GOP's rejection of democracy and freedom is alarming. You should be alarmed. If you’re not already involved, get involved locally in any way possible.

Fascism is here. What will you do to fight back?