Light A Candle For Democracy vigil
At 8 to 9 a.m. On the morning of Sunday, April 8th the Brattleboro fire department will hang the We Celebrate Democracy / Civil Rights For All main street banner over Main St. at High St. in downtown Brattleboro.
On the night of the 8th at 7 pm we have organized a “Light A Candle For Democracy” candlelight vigil for democracy under the banner (rain date the 9th).
Democracy is the light of the world, but the Dark Force is trying to put it out. Stand up for Democracy. Bring yourself and friends and family with candles to light for Democracy. We will light our candles at 7:25 (sunset). Pliny Park has been reserved for this event. Best parking is in the High Grove Lot. Bring a candle to light, bring a song to sing, bring words to speak, for Democracy. We need more people who want to speak up for Democracy. Please contact us.
If democracy could talk, democracy would say “thank you”. Unfortunately, Democracy cannot stand up or speak up for itself. That is where we come in. Please RSVP so we can plan ahead. Please stay on the sidewalks and do not block the street. Thank you to the town of Brattleboro. This Vigil is an alcohol and drug free event. By attending you agree to act nonviolently in word and in deed.
Background:
This is the anniversary of the first We Celebrate Democracy/Civil Rights For All banner raising and candle light vigil.
Making the banner (by Vt Banner Arts), and permits for the the banner have been funded by small donations from local people and businesses. Organizing the banner and the vigil has been fueled by a love of Democracy. We flew the banner over Main Street in Brattleboro on the weeks of April 23rd, June 25, September 3rd and October 8th. in 2017, and Martin Luther King Day week, 2018.
Forty people carried the banner in the Brattleboro 4th of July parade and sang songs praising Democracy.
We made Post cards of the banner and supporters in front of local post offices and businesses. We handed out 500 Brattleboro post office postcards to spectators at the parade. The post office postcards are free at the Marlboro and Brattleboro town offices and at Brooks Memorial Library. We held Democracy Forums at the River Garden Brown Bag Lunches on Wednesdays from June to January.
We plan to do what we did last year again this year.
We are dedicated to positive nonviolent public action for Democracy and Civil Rights For All People.
We Celebrate Democracy/Civil Rights For All is funded by small local donations.
Sponsored by the We Celebrate Democracy/Civil Rights For All: Woody Bernhard and Susan Kunhardt and friends and supporters.. For info and to RSVP: woodyandsusan@gmail.com 802 464 3154. Donate to “WCD/CRFA” POB 6231, Brattleboro Vt, 05302, or online at Go fund me We Celebrate Democracy . Thank you all for your support. We could not do this without you.
Tough One
Democracy does seem like a great way to reach group decisions. It doesn’t really seem fair if someone is left out. Usually, the more that participate in something, the better the outcome.
Of course, we leave out children (they don’t know enough yet, right?) and we sometimes forbid those who have committed crimes in the past from participating (they lost their privilege, right?). And historically we’ve left out women, people of color, those who don’t own land, and so on.
It’s only recently that “everyone” is allowed to vote (which ties democracy to civil rights), and even then there are obstacles thrown in ones’ path, depending on location. Voter ID laws, gerrymandering, and other tricks are used to subvert full democracy.
I suppose one question is whether we have actually experienced a real, full “democracy” thus far. We’ve certainly attempted to approach it, but more people don’t vote than do. Do we need everyone participating to call it a democracy? (What if we had a democracy but no one showed up?)
Having representatives seems good in some circumstances – distant decisions in DC or statehouse, for example. Locally, I’m not sure. It works, sort of, but probably could be redesigned so that everyone is able to participate in any collective decision that needs to be made so that local representatives aren’t necessary. If there was an easy mail-in ballot, say, with all RTM articles on it, everyone could vote and our system would, I’d argue, be more democratic.
(I should add that there are times, too, when a small dictatorship comes in handy. Running one’s own business is a bit like that, it it can be useful to be able to make unilateral decisions without requiring votes.)
Hope the vigil goes well!