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When Democracy Won
By lynmiller-lachmann on 2020-12-07 22:49:48
This piece originally appeared on my blog on Saturday, November 7. I believe that it's important to remember these events
for the historical record. One day, researchers and writers will read our stories and bring them to life for a new generation. I
have chronicled similar moments in the past for my own novels and nonfiction, like the 1988 plebiscite in Chile that plays
an important role in my novel Gringolandia. * It started at 11:25 this morning with a single clang of a pot across the street.
Easy to mistake for construction noise. Then cheering, faint at first. Thinking this may be THE moment, I checked my
[caption id="attachment_ 14836" align="alignleft" width="300"] Ridin’ with
Biden|[/caption] I checked the New York Times website. Nothing. But a friend who’d grown up under Communist
dictatorships once told me “when you see everybody standing in a line, get in line too because it’s probably for something
that you want.” With car horns now honking, I hopped out onto my balcony and started cheering as well. In my pajamas, but
eight months into the pandemic, who cares? After fifteen minutes of cheering and clapping and watching a couple of cars
drive past with Biden-Harris signs — Ridin’ with Biden — I stepped inside and read that the state of Pennsylvania had been
called, and regime change would commence on January 20, 2021. With the Biden-Harris ticket leading by millions of
popular votes and projected to win the Electoral College by a margin of 306 to 232 (the same Electoral College margin that
Trump had over Hillary Clinton despite his losing the popular vote by over three million), a would-be dictator experienced
something few dictators do: Losing an election and then giving up power. [caption id="attachment_14837"
align="alignright" width="126"] Happy to see Trump go.[/caption] I researched this topic last night, and
according to the non-governmental organization One Earth Future, only 40% of recent dictators lost elections that they
called, and of those election losers, seven of eight refused to give up power. General Augusto Pinochet, who lost his
plebiscite in Chile in 1988, was a notable exception. New York City enjoyed perfect weather today, and this afternoon I
walked to Washington Square Park where one of dozens of celebrations throughout the city was taking place. On the way,
more Ridin’ with Biden convertibles passed, honking. People in the park waved American flags and rainbow flags, listened
to music, and tried to stay socially distanced. My son sent a picture of the twins in their stroller, enjoying a similar
celebration in Union Square. Jonah looks like he’s whistling. “Wind of Change” maybe? [caption id="attachment_ 14838"
align="aligncenter" width="600"]
: Twins off to the celebration,
Jonah trying to whistle. Photo by Derrick Lachmann.[/caption] I’ve had “Glory” performed by John Legend and Common
on repeat today, both the original Oscar-winning best song from the movie Se/ma and the socially-distanced performance at
the Democratic National Convention at the end of August. I can’t think of a more appropriate song for the past few weeks,
from the late John Lewis’s hometown of Clayton County putting Georgia in the Democrat’s column, to Common voting in
his hometown of Philadelphia, the city and state where the vote margins called the election. [caption id="attachment_ 14839"
align="alignleft" width="225" ]& Rainbow flag in Washington Square Park.[/caption]
Tomorrow the work begins to “right the wrongs in history,” as the song says. To strengthen our democracy so we don’t allow
another would-be dictator to take the reins of power, and to make sure everyone has a place in this country and a chance to
thrive. We need leaders who show our young people that, in the words of CNN commentator Van Jones, “character matters.”
For the past four years, a leader of very low character turned us against each other, told Black people their lives didn’t
matter, showed no respect for us, our alliances with other democracies, or our own democratic institutions. With a pandemic
raging, he renounced his duty to care for us and protect us. He failed even to protect his own supporters, holding
superspreader rallies in defiance of local officials who begged him not to come. He expressed support for right-wing
paramilitary terrorists — the shock troops of fascist autocrats worldwide — as they threatened to kidnap and kill his political
opponents. [caption id="attachment_ 14840" align="alignright" width="225"] Waving the
American flag.[/caption] We need a reckoning with his supporters who endorsed these acts and have so far refused to
acknowledge their loss in this election. We can listen, seek truth and reconciliation, but we must not stand between those
who have harmed others and the consequences of their words and actions. It isn’t often that people standing together
overturn a dictatorship or stop a country from careening rapidly toward dictatorship. We have achieved something special.
Tonight we celebrate. [caption id="attachment_14841" align’ "aligncenter" width="450"]
American bicycle.[/caption]
