Citizens in a republic choose their leaders in elections. We define democracy as a system in which we are governed by representatives that a majority of us choose by voting in elections. The system works and is how the United States has functioned since its beginning. We choose our leaders by voting in elections. When more than one candidate runs for public office, the one who wins the most votes wins.

We define politics in various ways, but stated simply, it is the pursuit of power and the debate or conflict among those hoping to achieve it. In America, such battles tend to occur between two groups we call parties.

In a recent election, one candidate for president, representing the Democratic party, was elected by a significant majority of votes, many millions of votes greater than those earned by the candidate representing the Republican party, who lost. This same election delivered majority victories to candidates in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. This has resulted in a shift of power in the U.S. executive and legislative branches of government.

Since this election, members and supporters of the losing party have refused to accept the reality that its candidate lost. He in fact continues to insist that he won. His party, preferring a king to an elected president, has resorted to a variety of strategies to reverse the outcome of this election and to control future elections, in a variety of ways, legal, illegal and violent.

Reliable news sources now report that legislation that would make voting more difficult, particularly for citizens of color, is being made law in 43 of America’s 50 states. If certain citizens are unable to vote, candidates from a certain party stand a better chance of winning.

Creating obstacles to voting is not how we give voice to the individual citizen; it is the opposite. Democracy is under attack by one of our own political parties.

What are we going to do about it?