Have a good time as you enjoy picnicking and fun with friends and family this holiday weekend. But I urge you to take a moment to pause to reflect on how labor unions have evolved and the role they have played in the evolution of our democracy. Labor unions were created and grew out of…
The end of summer signals back to school for millions of students from kindergarten to graduate school. I feel pretty confident that most of them will encounter a reasonably solid curriculum in STEM subjects and fewer but still many will experience some decent language and literacy lessons. But how many of returning American students will…
What Is It? What Does It Do? Is It Under Siege? Part one of a continuing series. July 4, 2024 Too many Americans pay lip service to supporting democracy but have little clue about what it is, what it does and how it functions in America. This blog will cover the basics of democracy. If…
By Andrew Galeziowski The death of anti-corruption, pro-democratic political activist Alexei Navalny serves as another lesson to the Russian people of what happens to those who oppose the government of Vladimir Putin. The lesson continues in the days after his passing as Russians who take to the streets to protest or pay tribute to Navalny are arrested. Putin’s larger…
Here’s a Checklist for You. First Responders For Democracy advocates civic literacy for all Americans. How do you know if you are civically literate? Here is a checklist. Give yourself a check for each one that describes you. So how did you do? If you got 5 or under checks, you need review. If you…
Do you want to be heard? Most of us want to express our opinion to our elected and appointed government representatives and officials and have them hear us. I know I do. But most of us don’t bother to do anything about it because it is a pain to look up each rep’s contact information…
Making A Difference I have long been motivated by a quote attributed to John F. Kennedy. “One person can make a difference and every person should try.” That’s why my wife and I started First Responders For Democracy. We knew that making a difference is hard but it’s easier with the help of others. We…
I was talking to a conservative friend who is a retired U.S. Army colonel and combat veteran. We were chatting about the second amendment and he, an avid gun collector and shooter, offered the opinion that there is no way that guns in the hands of even skilled individual sharpshooters or militias could stand up…
Want To Take A Stand For Democracy? Here Are Four Easy Steps ANYBODY (YOU) Can Take. As I write this, it’s just two days shy of the third anniversary of the assault on the U.S. Capitol by an angry, anti-democratic mob. I am worried about the threats to democracy that still exist on…
Civic Literacy is knowledge about the shared community environment. It is the ability to identify and understand what government and citizenship are and how they affect all of us. In broader terms, it is the body of knowledge, skills and values that constitute our ability to understanding our civic environment and learn the basic…