Troy Crittendon 10/18/21 Troy Crittendon 10/18/21

The Odyssey of Democracy

Every vote that we cast, every email that we send to a legislator, and organized protest that we assemble in this country, represents a person's or a group of people’s engagement in our American society that is critical in developing a thriving and fulfilling democracy. While democracy exists as a social idea, it sits at the core of our American civic society, without it, the structure of our freedoms and rights in this country are unfounded and insubstantial. Which is why we must all, as citizens of the United States of America, create space for it, and its effects on our community.

Democracy or “demokratia”, textually, emanates from the Greek language, combining the words “demos”, referring to a populace or group of people in a society, and “kratos” meaning power or rule. Ultimately, the general definition of this word, created by Athenian community leader Cleisthenes, means that the people rule their own governing systems. One of the earliest forms of democracy, dating back to 508 B.C. in Athens Greece consisted of three different houses, similar to those that currently exist within our three branch system. While this form of democracy only lived for two centuries, the remnants of this framework would live to permeate through the governing bodies of many countries still to this day.

While democracy, like many political philosophies, provided a philosophical jumpstart for many civilizations, its essence has gone under the question by many notable philosophers and ancient thought leaders. Plato famously opposed and criticized democracy, as it was a system that likely chose their leaders on irrelevant characteristics not connected with one’s ability to lead with their expertise. From a more modern perspective Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a skeptical appreciator of democracy, criticized popular interpretations of this philosophy by asserting that it is dissonant with the “natural order” for the many to be governed by the few. Such skepticisms however, point to the arguably biggest hole in democracy in that it is not a law or rule, it's a set of beliefs.

Because democracy is an idea lacking factual evidence for its existence, it’s biggest and most catastrophic weakness is that it only exists so long as a unified society agrees on its principles and values, moreover, its existence. In this country, we have varying perspectives, but we must be under the conscious understanding that we elect our leaders, and that we must hold them accountable for all activity.

Regardless of our allegiances, we must stand firm in our adherence to democratic values from our elected leaders, and both, responsibly and aggressively repudiate behaviors that are misaligned with our idea of what democracy represents. Nonetheless, democracy provides a voice for those who lack one; democracy allows for the diversification of beliefs in our communities; democracy opens the door for equity, and it’s our responsibility, as we cross the threshold of equity, to protect its fundaments and preserve one of its essences, accountability.

The thoughts outlined in this text are the expressed thoughts of solely Troy Crittendon, and do not represent the stances of any organization or entity. Any duplication of this text without the appropriate writing credit or the expressed consent thereof is considered unlawful.

Troy Crittendon 9/13/21 Troy Crittendon 9/13/21

2020: The Year That Got Away?

I am 95 percent sure, gotta leave room for a margin of error, that if you polled anyone in the country, perhaps even the world, they would say that 2020 was a rather unfortunate, to be generous, year. From deaths by the thousands to triumphant and impassioned assembly of civic engagement, the roller coaster of 2020 provided that we always had something to talk about, something to share on our social media platforms, and plenty of cinematic content to binge, and books to sink into. But, nonetheless, even though the year was rather dismal in many aspects, many of us, fortunate enough, can say that we lived through a rather historic year in American history that our children and grandchildren will read about in their primary and secondary history classes. But, with every obstacle, there is a lesson behind it. So, let’s recap.

In the middle to latter months of 2019, this highly contagious and highly fatal virus allegedly escaped a wet market in Wuhan, China, emanating from a bat. As the year came to a close, the virus had ravaged the streets and communities in both Wuhan and its surrounding cities, ultimately freezing all signs of human activity on the once-busy streets of China. As the beginning months of 2020 emerged, the virus began to trickle into other countries, including the United States. At its lowest, the virus infected around 50 people, but then eventually spread to millions, and counting. Ultimately, we would find that one of the greatest and most equipped countries in the world, wasn't necessarily equipped to handle the effects of a global pandemic that left millions unemployed, families starving and homeless, and thousands of individuals mourning the loss of loved ones with whom they shared countless memories. While we witnessed so much dismay and trauma, arguably, the biggest flaw of the American response was uncovered: the incongruence of messaging, and the cleavages of two versions of America that are inherently dissonant with each other.Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Coming in, almost as a second act, in the heat of the summer, was America’s re-reckoning with its past, and suddenly racial dynamics in this country came to center-stage. In May, the world fastened to their phones, watched in dismay, as a video of a Minneapolis police officer was seen with his knee affixed to a 46-year old man by the name of Geroge Floyd. While this video wasn’t the first of its kind, where a law enforcement officer and an African-American were in a tense altercation, this case was seemingly the last straw for many Americans. Millions across the country and the globe assembled and marched to realize equity in policing, all while wearing stuffy masks in hopes to remain healthy and not contract COVID-19, the antagonist of this story. Although George Floyd and 23-year old woman Brianna Taylor may have ignited recent frustrations on race in America, we uncovered yet another wound that has never healed, race relations in America, and the unfortunate realization that many minorities and their trust in law enforcement is similar to that of oil in water. Two variables that never mix.

Does it seem like a lot yet?

I get it, and if you’ve stopped reading to preserve your mental health, I get it as well.

But, if you need to continue, let’s toss in a historical and consequential election in the mix, shall we say the narrator of this tragedy. Now, presidential races are already long and grueling processes involving hundreds of campaign stops, millions of donor solicitations, and rhetorical sparring matches on national television. So, we already knew an election was imminent, arguably two to three years before, we just did not know how it was going to play out. On one side, you have a poised and undefeatable symbol of “America First”, but on the other side, the Democrats, you've got a historically large field trying to combat and defeat an incumbent president. Debate after debate, primary after primary, candidates who identified as Democrats would drop out of the race, ultimately leaving, unconventionally, the field to one candidate, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, who would make a historic pick for Vice President Kamala Harris. The general election would come along, and debates would occur, but the flaw of our Union was magnified even more, with both sides Republican and Democrat painting two different visions for our country that didn't seem, at first listen, to include the other side.

So, we signed the dotted line on such a tumultuous year, and filed it away like an embarrassing demerit at school or work that we never want to see again. But, the lessons we learned from 2020 remain timeless and transformative. Firstly, we learned that regardless of our beliefs, when it comes to something so constant such as a deadly virus, who knows no socioeconomic status or race, we cannot allow ourselves to develop contrasting messages. Secondly, Americans have been accustomed to so many liberties, that we feel almost territorial, like a lioness and her cub, of our freedoms, and that alone is inspiring regardless of why you protect it. Lastly, we learned the importance of togetherness and unity to support our fellow neighbor. From the many food box donations to starving families, to the free donuts or lunches for a frontline worker who is weary from the day, we utilized the tool of togetherness. We initiated our humanity and we joined to activate the resiliency that is inherent to our American spirit. While we took some wounds, and still have some unhealed, the year that got away didn't really go away and it shouldn’t, it should serve as reminder and reinforcement of who we are; so that, we may never journey on a similar road in the old hoopty that we drove in 2020.

Troy Crittendon 8/16/21 Troy Crittendon 8/16/21

Let’s Get Started!

Friends,

Firstly, I want to welcome you to my website, and I also want to welcome you to join me on this journey of civic engagement, enlightened discussion, and self-discovery. When I set out to create this platform, I not only wanted to showcase my affinity and connectedness to civic life, but I also wanted to provide a place that allowed for all people groups, no matter your race, religion, or socioeconomic status, to use as a launching pad for their own personally insightful dialogues with their family, friends, and peers.

Too often we allow ourselves, in this age of nearly instantaneous news and content, to get wrapped in information bubbles that inhibit our ability to create unique perspectives that are formed around our experiences and foundational takeaways. To me, such bubbles are necessary to help create the frame around the portrait of our beliefs, but going further, I believe that we should not allow the frame to solely guide the portrait of our ideas. We must, as citizens in this democratic society endowed with many rights, namely for the context of this discussion, free speech, utilize our resources and create fulfilling networks of thought that are filled with not only thoughts of our own, but some also that contrast with our pre-existing beliefs. Such contrast, ushers in a rhetorical dynamism that creates space for individuals to explore both, facts and understandings to draw closer, under a personal maxim, to a more sound and supported platform of beliefs and ideologies.

While Troy’s Take is not intended to be exhaustive in some of its discussion, I desire that the contents of this section create space for my contribution to the rhetorical ecosystem on politics and social society. I also intend for my perspectives here to be similarly contributory, at least slightly, in guiding you towards that ever-evolving and increasingly more cogent collection of beliefs and stances that help to inform your dialogues within your community. From here, on this platform, I plan to discuss many different topics from current events to political philosophy, but overall, the discussion here shall catalyze introspection.

So, let's get started!