Page 18 - FOP Magazine August 2020

The death of our democracy?
It is hard not to reflect upon what exactly we are witnessing, not only in our city but na- tionally as well. We have hit a point in time where up appears to be down, the good
guys are the bad guys and a person is considered a hero for desecrating and destroying public property. You may ask yourself if this is just an odd time we will
look back upon as a turbulent 2020? Or are
we witnessing the death of our democracy as we know it?
A democratic system is one based upon power or deci- sion-making resting with the people. The people decide through an electoral process. Every person of age has a say through the right to vote. No matter if you are uber- rich, middle class or below the poverty line, you are treated equally and have the same say. Now we all know that may be something to which we aspire and not necessarily the practice, but the basic tenet is still true. Look to the recent elections in Iraq and other recently freed states, and you see the joy of people who now actually have a say in how they are governed. With the right to vote comes ideas of free- dom of speech, due process and equal protection under the
law, the right to defend oneself, to worship the God of our choosing and a host of other rights we take for granted. These are all bedrock principles by which we live, and on which we count in times of unrest or national cri- sis. However, many of our fellow citizens — at least the loudest ones — appear to be taking a different
view on these norms.
We were warned by Abraham Lincoln that a “house
divided against itself, cannot stand.” But that quote was clearly directed to address the stain of slavery, not what we are seeing today in the unrest and uncertainty that con- front us. Why should we believe that our experiment with democracy should last much longer than it has? The Roman Empire lasted for more than 1,000 years. We have only been around since 1776 — a mere 244 years. The Zhou Dynasty in China ruled for more than 1,000 years and dynasties on the Korean peninsula, Tonga and Vietnam all lasted much longer than us. What is so special about us to make us be- lieve that we will still be here 500 or 1,000 years from today? The reason is not that we are a better people or more intelli- gent or have a greater physical makeup than those long-lost governments. The reason we persist and excel is because of our system: our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, our ability
TIM GRACE
The Law Firm of Grace & Thompson Specializes in Representing Chicago Police Officers
James E. Thompson, Partner JThompson@ggtlegal.com
Timothy M. Grace, Partner connorgrace@aol.com
We pride ourselves in maintaining a small-firm feel by treating each case with care and consideration.
Seasoned trial attorneys representing Chicago Police Officers in matters before the Chicago Police Board, Internal Affairs, COPA, Inspector General, and Civil and Criminal Courts.
The Law Firm of Grace & Thompson also provides professional legal services in other areas:
• Personal Injury
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Contact us today for a free consultation! 312-943-0600 • GGTlegal.com
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18 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ AUGUST 2020