WHAT IS A DEMOCRATIST?

The Democratist’s Purpose

So, what is a “democratist”?  Simple — it is someone who is an advocate of democratic principles, a supporter of democracy itself.  Likewise, what is the purpose of a web site by that name?  The purpose of this website, The Democratist, is to:

• Inspire Americans to love and thirst for the freedoms that democracy gives them.

• Educate Americans about their government’s structure, practices, history, democratic norms and values, as well as the concepts and methods by which it is being attacked and undermined.

• Activate a sense of vigilance and alarm when American democracy is ignored, diminished, subverted, or undermined.

• Advance a civic minded love of democracy that manifests itself through positive civic awareness and involvement.

How Do We Achieve These Outcomes?

The Democratist intends to promote Americans’ understanding, awareness, and appreciation of democracy.  But, more than that, The Democratist’s goal is to inculcate Americans with the precept that, even with all its imperfections, ultimately democracy is the only the form of government that allows its citizens to truly pursue their goal as We the People- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.   

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The Democratist  intends to help raise our collective democratic awareness by calling our attention to the fragility of democracy and the assault it is under at this very moment from authoritarianism, not only here but world-wide.  The Democratist will strive to raise awareness of our lack of understanding and civic illiteracy about democracy here as well as the danger that our lack or civic awareness poses to our form of government.

By highlighting these dangers, The Democratist will pursue not only identifying them, but work to motivate Americans to prevent these attacks from undermining our democracy.  Further, The Democratist purposes to equip Americans so they are able to identify and resist autocratic and authoritarian forms of government, as well as their strongman leadership, all of which are toxic and antithetical to democracy.  Such leaders are more than willing to take away our right as citizens in a democracy, to self-govern and provide the consent of the governed to our leaders.  By doing this, these anti-democratic leaders take that right of self-government away changing us from citizens to subjects.

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By What Means With The Democratist Pursue These Outcomes for Democracy?

We will highlight ideas, essays, articles, speeches, and books that promote a democratist agenda.  Along that way, as current events occur that promote or damage democracy, we will spotlight those events and provide democracy-oriented perspectives about them.  We will invite readers who share The Democratist’sconcerns and interests in retaining, sustaining, and improving our democracy.  If current events involving democracy in this country have historic parallels that are similar to the present, we will point those out.  Most of all, we want to The Democratist to sound the alarm that democracy requires citizen involvement, civic awareness, and being proactive in order to retain our democracy.  That is more important than ever with our democracy under the greatest attack it has been since the Civil War.

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Certainly, along the way, if we sell a book which focuses on our dangerous civic illiteracy and how to improve it, such as Fighting for Democracy, all the better.  But the imperative here is to invite you in joining this effort to not only retain our democracy, but to improve it so we can leave our children, grandchildren, and the generations of Americans that follow us with a democracy even better than the one we have.

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Please join us on this journey.  You can reach me at the email on this web site. — Thomas E. Brymer

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