Democracy for thee and not for me

In the wake of the series of rulings handed down by the Supreme Court in recent years, including decisions on religious liberty, affirmative action, abortion, presidential immunity, and student loans, Democrats and many in the media have renewed their push for “court reform.” The language being deployed by many is that the originalist Supreme Court majority is somehow “illegitimate” or “stolen.” Media allies have buoyed this narrative, with one-sided reporting on the practices of justices such as Clarence Thomas. Now Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, endorses President Joe Biden’s radical court reform proposals and has a history of advocating for an expanded bench.

This is in keeping with extremely dangerous rhetoric from Democrats for the last few years, including a not-so-veiled threat from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who once stood in front of the Supreme Court and declared, “You will pay.” Sadly, one deranged individual traveled to Washington, D.C., to try to carry this out, attempting to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Being on the losing side of Supreme Court decisions can be dispiriting. Conservatives spent decades in the legal wilderness on a range of issues, content only to drown their sorrows in elegantly written dissents by the late Justice Antonin Scalia and to work hard to elect presidents who promise to appoint originalist justices. Conservatives worked within our democratic system to achieve these victories. Of course, it’s perfectly reasonable for liberals to disagree with a Supreme Court decision, but it erodes trust in our democracy and its institutions to continually attempt to delegitimize the court.

Our democracy is a fragile thing, creaking her way along toward 250 years of existence. Many on the left have been hysterical about how former President Donald Trump has stretched the limits of democracy. Some of the criticisms are hyperbolic—passing conservative legislation through normal means is a strength of our system—and some are genuine. The dishonest rhetoric about a stolen 2020 election, the tragedy of Jan. 6, 2021, and the relentless pressure on former Vice President Mike Pence to disobey the Constitution, not to mention Trump’s rhetoric in trying to delegitimize the serious indictments against him, are all examples of eroding faith in the system.

But it is cynical and counterproductive for the left to oppose Trump’s anti-democratic moves with anti-democratic moves of its own. The truth is, we all have a stake in ensuring our republic endures. Benjamin Franklin’s timeless words celebrating “a republic, if you can keep it” should be etched on our minds and should shape our political discourse. America will not merely endure on autopilot; it will require investment by every generation to secure freedom and liberty.

The American experiment is rare in human history. As Jonah Goldberg said, “Capitalism is unnatural. Democracy is unnatural. Human rights are unnatural.” It is up to every generation to defend our ideals.

The words from Ronald Reagan more than half a century ago still ring true today: “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. And those in world history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again.”

Christians should care about America’s flourishing, not because we believe this beautiful land is the new Jerusalem, but because we love our neighbors as Jesus commands (Mark 12:30–31) and seek the shalom of our communities, cities, and nation (Jeremiah 29). Our fervor for democracy is tempered by the reality that it’s a flawed system in a broken world. Our patriotism is guided by our ultimate allegiance to Christ and His kingdom. Still, while we live and enjoy the fruits of America’s freedom and prosperity, it is incumbent on us—all of us, Democrats, Republicans, and independents—to respect the institutions that ensure it. Even when they make rulings with which we disagree.