Although we established the first modern democracy, we’re not at the top. Some nations are improving the model. Certain characteristics, such as low voter participation or polarization, contribute to our current lower ranking. The recent upheavals we’re enduring are growing pains. Efforts are being made to repair our faults, yet opposing efforts undermine our democracy.
I was inspired to write this piece when I heard on the radio that Teddy Roosevelt had called Thomas Paine “a dirty little atheist.” I have continued my research by extending it to our 16th president.
As the presidential election results became clear on the evening of Nov. 6, one commentator said that we have become “the Disunited States of America.” It has been 154 years since Abraham Lincoln, in an acceptance speech for his nomination as a candidate for the U.S. Senate, referenced the words of Jesus: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”