I was recently vacationing in the small, sleepy town of Damariscotta, Maine. While browsing through some quaint, charming stores in the downtown area, I ventured into a store named The Kingfisher and the Queen.

As I approached the counter to pay for my purchases, I looked up and saw the above quote from Thomas Jefferson – boldly chalked and crisply written on the big blackboard behind.

QUOTE:

“All Tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”

UNQUOTE

This simple statement screams for attention from all of us, who are silently watching major existential changes occurring in our country and the dismantling of age-old, proven institutions.

Our 3rd President and one of the Founding Fathers of our country had the vision and foresight to see how fragile the experiment of the US democracy, constitution, and governance would be when he made the above statement.

Democracy to flourish relies entirely on the good people of our country, providing oversight and holding their elected (by the people) government accountable for every action they are performing on their behalf. Yes, we do vote and elect our leaders – and we do so, on the basis of what policies they promise to enforce into law, once elected. We also do not have much real-time control if the elected leaders renege on their promises and do what they please. We clearly cannot silently watch the past 250 years of the best and most powerful country in the world, being eroded by internal tidal waves of partisan politics based on ideology instead of core democratic principles.

Wikipedia definition of Tyranny is:

Tyranny, in its core definition, refers to a form of government or rule where absolute power is held by a single person, or a small group, and is exercised oppressively or unjustly. It often involves the abuse of power, disregard for the law, and harsh treatment of citizens. 

Why are we surrendering our invaluable freedom to early signs of autocracy? We are either consciously or unconsciously living our lives with blinders on. Problem situations need to be confronted and solved – they do not just go away and resolve by themselves, however much we may wish them to.

Any creation (art, painting, sculpture, structure, institutions, etc.) takes painstaking effort and time. Destruction of the created entity can be callous, rapid, and complete. If you see something, SAY something, or DO something – don’t just look the other way and keep walking your routine path. It is easy to believe that what you see does not affect you. Believe me, it does and will consume everyone one day.