Twelve Ways To Save Democracy in America
Matthew Rothschild’s ideas for Wisconsin’s politics applies to all of America
In 2011, Wisconsinites occupied the Wisconsin state capitol. Their protest was non-violent but a direct response to anti-democratic political moves by the Wisconsin legislature and its then governor, Scott Walker.
Many were arrested. My friend, Matthew Rothschild was one. Needless to say, Wisconsin, once a solid state for democracy and progressive ideas, is now just the opposite. It is anti-democratic, anti-labor, corporate/big money dominated, and in a battle for the common good.
My friend, Matt, has written a book about all of it. It is called 12 Ways To Save Democracy in Wisconsin.
It is a must read. Not just for the sake of Wisconsin, but for the entire country, and many states around the country that are also anti-democratic, anti-labor, and corporate/big money controlled.
The book has 12 chapters and all of them apply to the entire country. They are “Ban Gerrymandering,” “Reform Campaign Finance,” “Make Voting Easier,” “Reenfranchise Former Prisoners,” “End Prison Gerrymandering,” “Tighten Recusal Rules,” “Give Us Direct Democracy,” “Provide Rank Choice Voting,” “Restore Local Control,” “Save Local Media,” “Root Out Racism,” and “Move Towards Economic Democracy.”
Rothschild also provides a set of tips for activists to avoid burnout as they do their work. The book is also just 150 pages so it can be consumed in just one sitting or one day.
There is much that can be quoted here to help you understand Rothschild’s vision. Here’s a bit of it from the chapter — “End Prison Gerrymandering.” That is the practice of counting a prisoner in the county where they are incarcerated for the census rather than in their real home city or county.
Here’s Rothschild:
“If you’re a Black man from Milwaukee who was convicted of a felony on April 2, 2020 and you were sent to prison in Waupan for two years, the 2020 census counts you as living not in Milwaukee but in Waupan. And it counts you as living in Waupan until the next census, in 2030, even if you move back to your home in Milwaukee…”
This right here applies to many states and the U.S. should not allow this. Not just because it is wrong but it is a surviving remnant of chattel slavery and the Jim Crow period. Black people were non-citizens and had no rights but they somehow still got counted by states on the census in some manner.
Rothschild also connects the historical dots on voter suppression. Where previously Black voters were stopped from voting with violence, now racially motivated voter ID laws are used to stop Blacks from voting. In addition, early voting is curtailed with racist motivations, and places to cast your vote are severely cut in urban areas where Black people are racially segregated.
Wisconsin, in other words, is a lot of America. It is a modern Jim Crow state in the north using the racist tactics of white supremacy in the modern era to kill democracy and to promote a divided bigoted society.
If you want to know what is wrong with democracy in America, check out Rothschild’s ideas here even if you don’t live in Wisconsin. There are plenty of states in America now that are anti-democratic. No reason to not get involved. Democracy, real democracy (not that fake mess), is worth fighting for, any place in the world.
