Participatory Democracy — Its conflicts, its hypocrisy, and its progress

by Gary Mackenstadt

Gary Mackenstadt

Sir Winston Churchill among others stated, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”

​The American democracy has been evolving since the settlement of the colonies on the east coast of what is now the United States. Only white males were involved in making decisions regarding colonial policy. Only white males with wealth signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

Mercy Warren (1728-1814) of Massachusetts was the first American historian. She wrote a history of the Adams Administration following his defeat by Thomas Jefferson in 1800. Mercy Warren was a close friend of Abigail Adams; wife of John Adams. President Adams became angry with Mercy Warren because, quite frankly, he apparently had problems handling challenges to his ego. 

Women are not referenced in the Constitution. The female vote was not granted in federal elections until 1920, although they were given the vote for some state elections prior to that time. Discrimination on any basis — gender, race, color, ethnic origin, disability — is based on ignorance, tradition, religion, self-centered ego, and opportunism. 

Discrimination relating to disability is based on ignorance and preconceived notions about the disability. I am blind and have had people tell me my other senses are more acute because of blindness. I am not aware of any evidence that supports this assertion. I have had people come up to me offering to pray for me to regain my vision. I do not consider these offers of prayer to be well intentioned. Technology has afforded blind persons many opportunities, but blindness is still an issue, and blind persons need to know the alternative techniques necessary to foster and foment the opportunity for independence and integration into society. Curb cuts and ramps, accessible doors, audible street signals are helpful to the disabled in general and for some blind people who need them because of lack of mobility training or age; however, these environmental accommodations are helpful to many other disabled persons.

Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, founder of the National Federation of the Blind in 1940, lost most of his vision at the age of seven and became totally blind at the age of 14. As a blind person, he earned five degrees, including a PhD from Harvard and a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley. He was a member and chairman of the Speech Department at UC Berkeley until his death in 1968. He was a legal scholar writing numerous articles and books about social welfare and raised awareness for the deprived citizens in society. In 1954, Thurgood Marshall, in the Brown v. Board of Education decision, cited Dr. tenBroek’s book, “The Antislavery Origins of the Fourteenth Amendment.” Dr. tenBroek was a leader of the Free Speech Movement in the 1960s. 

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) in the last 85 years has grown into one of the most successful and powerful organizations for persons with disabilities. Since its inception, the NFB has promoted the use of braille instruction, pushing legislation to require the instruction of braille for students who are blind. In Washington and in other states, legislation passed forbidding the taking away of children from blind parents just because they were blind. The NFB took the lead, obtaining the right of the blind to serve on juries in Washington and other states. Washington was one of the earliest states to promote the integration of blind and disabled students in the public schools. 

The current administration in Washington, DC, is attempting to destroy the Federal Department of Education, which has had a diabolic impact on disabled persons, including the blind. The administration with its actions is adversely affecting educational opportunities and is a threat to the mainstreaming of students in public education. 
 
The president’s actions and attitude with respect to the disabled is an attempt to counteract much of the progress made by the disabled. The current occupant of the White House has repeatedly demonstrated his bias against people with disabilities:

— By claiming that someone with dyslexia could not be president because it would mean he was “dumb,” after California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed he had dyslexia.
— By asking that disabled veterans not be included in military parades because it did not look good. 
— By making fun of a disabled journalist. 
— By attacking DEI, which affects persons with disabilities. 
— By eliminating grants to braille and talking book libraries for the disabled.
— By taking action to defund the Special Olympics, only to withdraw that action after public backlash.

Dr. tenBroek, in a speech in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1952, stated, “Full membership in a democratic society … entitles the individual to liberty in thought and action, equality of treatment, opportunity to develop his potentialities, and security against the calamities of fortune over which he has no effective control. The withholding or withdrawal by society of any of these fundamental rights from an individual leaves him at best in a role of probationary membership, of second-class citizenship, and to that extent refutes the practice and violates the spirit of democracy.”

The blind, as well as other disabled persons, are in a struggle for full participation in American democracy. When only 50% of the citizens in our democracy chose to vote in the 2024 presidential election, we identified the most serious threat to the survival of our democracy — apathy and choosing not to participate in the democratic process. There is currently a rather disorganized movement led by the president to limit voting; to challenge voting procedures including the mail-in ballot despite the fact that the arguments against mail-in ballots are fabrications. These attempts to limit the vote could have a primary impact on the ability of people who are seniors and who are disabled to vote. To save the democracy for all citizens, knowledge, participation, and tolerance are imperative.