For citizens willing to help hold the line, the first step is to decide where that line is.
- Most of us want to ignore any bad behavior by our favorite leaders from our own party. Make a conscious decision not to be so partisan. Be willing to take action against your own leaders if they insist that
- elections exclude certain people,
- the conduct of elections should be biased in their favor, or
- some people should not enjoy the same rights as others.
- Never give your leaders more power than you would entrust to your opponents.
- Follow this rule because you know any cheating by your side will create an excuse for the other side to do the same or worse. Things can quickly get out of control if not nipped in the bud early.
- Identify a “line in the sand” that will trigger your active defense of constitutional principals.
- Our rights to assemble, speak, and vote without coercion or repression should be especially important when thinking about where to place your line.
Image: Building a sea-wall, 1903, Galveston, TX. By J.M. Maurer.
Excerpted from Political Trust & Distrust, Part 2 of 2. Free course, one paragraph per day.
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