American democracy is a fragile anomaly in the tapestry of history, which has been largely defined by monarchs, autocrats, and recently, presidents-for-life. Our rare, delicate experiment is not guaranteed; it relies on each successive generation of Americans working to preserve and defend the flame of democracy. The system cannot run on autopilot, particularly as we navigate difficult terrain.
I was profoundly disappointed this month when every single GOP Senator voted against opening debate on the Freedom to Vote Act – the commonsense legislation I helped to write to improve access to the ballot for all Americans and advance common-sense election integrity reform; it took suggestions from election officials across the country in Red states, Blue states, and Purple states.
We are in the midst of a pivotal moment of American history, as our democracy is faced with dual crises: diminishing faith in our electoral process, and a political party that exploits and encourages these sentiments for short-term political gain. These phenomena threaten to undermine the very idea of America – but it doesn’t have to be this way. The Constitution grants Congress the explicit power to confront these challenges and serve as a backstop against threats and to maintain democratic norms. We must rise to this moment by enacting a set of basic protections to ensure that all Americans can vote. This is not a federal takeover of elections; it simply sets a floor so no state can enact restrictive laws that serve only to disenfranchise voters. Virtually all of these reforms in the Freedom to Vote Act are things that Maine already does.
Congress has a responsibility to meet these challenges head on, and carry forward the legacy that has been entrusted to us. Unfortunately, my GOP colleagues refused to come to the table. I have asked them repeatedly what they would like to see in an elections reform bill, but I have received no substantive responses. I want to negotiate a bill, with my colleagues from both parties, that will defend the American experiment for the next generation. I want a compromise, first and foremost. But absent that, I am open to protecting our democratic system of government through structural reforms that ensure that we protect ballot access for all of our citizens. Our elections are the backbone of America’s democracy – and that democracy is more important than any Senate rule.
Before the vote, I spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to stress the importance of protecting voting rights against state and local-level threats, and preserving America’s historically unique democratic system of self-governance. As I warned in my speech, we're at a hinge in history where the fate of the American experiment hangs in the balance. If you're interested, you can watch the full speech HERE.
Thank you Heather Cox Richardson for being our mighty teacher, and thank you Buddy Poland for reawakening our joy of seeing this morning.
Here's to the black cats, ghost stories, lit Jack-o’-lanterns, witches piloting brooms in the air and the laughter of children as they go trick and treating on this Halloween.
Here's also to our poets, ever present to inspire and engage us.
'The America I Know Could Use a Good Cry'
Marcus Amaker
'I met America at a neighborhood bar.
He offered me a shot of rum and I reminded him
that Captain Morgan was a slave owner,
so the bartender awkwardly slipped another
liquid lie down my throat. I ordered another drink
and was channeled by dark spirits. The courage of
black ghosts who haunt American dreams.
I told him I loved him and I wanted him to sleep well.
“But I know I’ve been in your nightmares,”
I said. “I want to be your friend, but only if it’s a deep
relationship. Only if you show me that you are not scared
of your baggage. Bring your whole history to the table.”
America cracked open another beer as a tear
ran down his face. He said,
“I was born in a house not my own, and my fathers demanded
that their portraits hang on every wall. White paint covers each
brown brick and our backyard is a museum of unmarked graves.”
“Despite this, a garden grows,” I said. “And every home
can be torn down and rebuilt again.”
“But I’ve been told I shouldn’t completely let you in,” he said.
“Some people in my family stand in the doorway,
blocking the entrance.”
He left before I could tell him that my people have a history
of finding ways inside broken spaces and making them whole again.'
(Marcus Amaker is a poet, recording artist, and mentor, the author of eight books of poetry, most recently The Birth of All Things (Free Verse Press, 2020). In 2021, Amaker received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship')
A letter from another Mainer, Sen. Angus King:
American democracy is a fragile anomaly in the tapestry of history, which has been largely defined by monarchs, autocrats, and recently, presidents-for-life. Our rare, delicate experiment is not guaranteed; it relies on each successive generation of Americans working to preserve and defend the flame of democracy. The system cannot run on autopilot, particularly as we navigate difficult terrain.
I was profoundly disappointed this month when every single GOP Senator voted against opening debate on the Freedom to Vote Act – the commonsense legislation I helped to write to improve access to the ballot for all Americans and advance common-sense election integrity reform; it took suggestions from election officials across the country in Red states, Blue states, and Purple states.
We are in the midst of a pivotal moment of American history, as our democracy is faced with dual crises: diminishing faith in our electoral process, and a political party that exploits and encourages these sentiments for short-term political gain. These phenomena threaten to undermine the very idea of America – but it doesn’t have to be this way. The Constitution grants Congress the explicit power to confront these challenges and serve as a backstop against threats and to maintain democratic norms. We must rise to this moment by enacting a set of basic protections to ensure that all Americans can vote. This is not a federal takeover of elections; it simply sets a floor so no state can enact restrictive laws that serve only to disenfranchise voters. Virtually all of these reforms in the Freedom to Vote Act are things that Maine already does.
Congress has a responsibility to meet these challenges head on, and carry forward the legacy that has been entrusted to us. Unfortunately, my GOP colleagues refused to come to the table. I have asked them repeatedly what they would like to see in an elections reform bill, but I have received no substantive responses. I want to negotiate a bill, with my colleagues from both parties, that will defend the American experiment for the next generation. I want a compromise, first and foremost. But absent that, I am open to protecting our democratic system of government through structural reforms that ensure that we protect ballot access for all of our citizens. Our elections are the backbone of America’s democracy – and that democracy is more important than any Senate rule.
Before the vote, I spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate to stress the importance of protecting voting rights against state and local-level threats, and preserving America’s historically unique democratic system of self-governance. As I warned in my speech, we're at a hinge in history where the fate of the American experiment hangs in the balance. If you're interested, you can watch the full speech HERE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yxkD_5G24E
Thank you Heather Cox Richardson for being our mighty teacher, and thank you Buddy Poland for reawakening our joy of seeing this morning.
Here's to the black cats, ghost stories, lit Jack-o’-lanterns, witches piloting brooms in the air and the laughter of children as they go trick and treating on this Halloween.
Here's also to our poets, ever present to inspire and engage us.
'The America I Know Could Use a Good Cry'
Marcus Amaker
'I met America at a neighborhood bar.
He offered me a shot of rum and I reminded him
that Captain Morgan was a slave owner,
so the bartender awkwardly slipped another
liquid lie down my throat. I ordered another drink
and was channeled by dark spirits. The courage of
black ghosts who haunt American dreams.
I told him I loved him and I wanted him to sleep well.
“But I know I’ve been in your nightmares,”
I said. “I want to be your friend, but only if it’s a deep
relationship. Only if you show me that you are not scared
of your baggage. Bring your whole history to the table.”
America cracked open another beer as a tear
ran down his face. He said,
“I was born in a house not my own, and my fathers demanded
that their portraits hang on every wall. White paint covers each
brown brick and our backyard is a museum of unmarked graves.”
“Despite this, a garden grows,” I said. “And every home
can be torn down and rebuilt again.”
“But I’ve been told I shouldn’t completely let you in,” he said.
“Some people in my family stand in the doorway,
blocking the entrance.”
He left before I could tell him that my people have a history
of finding ways inside broken spaces and making them whole again.'
(Marcus Amaker is a poet, recording artist, and mentor, the author of eight books of poetry, most recently The Birth of All Things (Free Verse Press, 2020). In 2021, Amaker received an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship')