Slowly, step by step, I try to pick up running again. This afternoon was more like a very slow jogging; I'm glad the runners who passed me by at impressive speed were all decades younger. Considering what I wrote yesterday about the beauty of the golden hour, I picked the end of the day to jog along Wellington Street to the Canadian Parliament. It stood proudly as a silhouette against the backdrop of a magnificent sunset. The sky, loaded with orange, yellow, and golden hues, was a breathtaking canvas for the iconic building.
It was a moment to contemplate the profound significance of democracy. The institution represented by this stately structure was underpinned by the principles of freedom, equality, and the people's will. Yet, I couldn't ignore the shadows of doubt creeping in.
Democracy under threat
Democracy, once deemed indestructible, is now under threat in many countries worldwide. Authoritarianism and populist movements are on the rise. History may never repeat itself, but the parallels with the first half of the 20th century are hard to ignore. We don't have to look far over Canada's borders to see a world power facing formidable challenges as well as resilience to deal with them.
Just hours ago, the world learned that New York Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that former President Donald Trump and high-ranking officials from his company, including his sons Eric and Donald Jr., were found to have consistently engaged in deceptive practices. These practices involved inflating the values of assets and exaggerating Trump's personal net worth on various documents, misleading banks, insurers, and other parties.
We may have become immune to this kind of news about this man, which may lead us to sometimes forget the unique historical case that it is a former President of the United States, and perhaps even the next U.S. President, who is again on trial. He has led (for lack of a better verb that comes to mind) for four years one of the world's biggest and most powerful democracies.
Climate crisis
Trump has more in common with climate change than he would like to admit; paradoxically, both threats seem less scary once you see more frequent evidence of their destructive power. Like a virus, we build immunity against bad news while never fully getting the bad feeling out of our system.
As I searched for a better angle to capture the silhouette of the Parliament, I thought about our sense of responsibility for our collective future. Winston Churchill is often quoted on democracy. The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom spoke in 1947 in the House of Commons on the challenges and prospects of democracy in the aftermath of World War II and the rise of communism. He said:
"Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."
I thought about Churchill while catching my breath and photographing this awe-inspiring view of the Canadian Parliament against the setting sun.
It was time to start the long return leg of my slow run.
💯🌻🚶🙏
Thank you!
Be gentle with yourself . . . (-:
I hope we never become immune to people like Donald Trump and his moral emptiness or to the increasing threats to democracy.
The rise we see in so many countries of authoritarianism is chilling to say the least.
Perhaps it’s naive but I must believe truth and righteousness will prevail and remembering the sacrifices of our ancestors who fought so valiantly to preserve that cherished form of government will be the catalyst to inspire today’s defenders to rise to the challenge.
Remembering brave leaders like Winston Churchill gives hope that will there are new leaders who will draw on his resolve.
These harrowing times are grist for the pen of a writer whose deep sense of justice and democracy is second nature. Thanks for this one.