Changing Rhythm of American Democracy
This African Proverb started me thinking about the 2025 presidential inauguration. “When the music changes, so does the dance.” This is the first convicted felon our nation has elected to serve as its chief executive. I think this speaks to a serious decline in the moral standards of our country — the rhythm of American democracy is changing.
Will his intolerance of differences, his personal avarice, and tendency toward authoritarianism affect the collective consciousness of our citizenry? Will we begin to dance to a different drum? Do these potentially disquieting characteristics signal a cultural ebb rather than progress?
In his book Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville highlights the importance of religion in maintaining a democratic society. Perhaps it is time for us to band together as brothers and sisters of multiple faiths and champion the cause of saving our nation’s moral foundation.
