Has the experiment ended?

 During the 2020 election cycle, the Democratic Party sent out a notice about signs of "blue" being placed on our homes in hopes of a great blue wave in November of that year. Some folks put out blue light bulbs, others blue flags. I chose to hang a blue star on my door.

I'm not sure if my blue star had anything to do with the Biden win, but I decided to leave it hanging on my door in hopes that we could maintain our democracy. After all, with the attempted coup of January 6, 2021, democracy seemed a bit fragile.

My star hung through the four years of the Biden administration. It became a bit weathered and worn, and there were times when I had to make some repairs, but the old girl made it.

Now, after one year of the Trump regime, my star lies broken in pieces. A true metaphor for what has happened to our nation. As Rachel Maddow said in August of 2025,  "We are living in a consolidating dictatorship in this country." Writing today, in February of 2026, my belief is that the dictatorship has solidified. It is no longer a question of can we save democracy. The question we must now ask ourselves is do we have the fortitude to restore democracy.

It was called the "American experiment," based on the ideal that the people could be the sovereign of a nation, that democracy was based on the rule of law, laws of "we the people."

Today members of our judiciary are ruling based on loyalty to an authoritarian. Elected members of Congress and other legislative bodies are bending the knee to this monster. Business and educational leaders are kowtowing to his demands. 

My hope is that the experiment will not end, that "we the people" will rise and demand a return to decency and the belief that we are all created equal.  My star lies tattered and in pieces. If I manage to put her back together, will she be able to weather the storm?



 

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