The first time I saw democracy in action, it was not through a cast vote, but a love letter to the future.
Before I was old enough to vote, my mom and dad would bring me to the polling stations in my hometown of Barrie, Ontario to watch the events unfold. People lined up patiently, one by one, to cast their vision of our country’s future. At a young age, I found it thrilling to see everyone united by a shared purpose: To make their voices heard. In my small, passionate community, voting was more than just a routine—it was a tradition treated with reverence and care.
On one of those days, my parents explained how people had fought for this right, and how others around the world still dreamed of having it. They taught me that democracy is a gift we should never take for granted. But as I’ve grown older, my perspective has changed, coloured by the weight of the system’s fragility.
After the Nov. 6 US election, I question what we must do to truly protect the gift of democracy.
At its core, democracy is built on the voices of the people. It’s a system that hinges on participation, accountability, and respect for the will of the community. Yet, democracy is not a fixed system—it evolves with those who uphold it. Today, its foundation is under threat, with political polarization, misinformation, and attacks on the electoral process sowing seeds of doubt and division.
It’s okay to feel discouraged––I know I am. I worry that the world is slipping out of our hands, burdened by the challenges that feel too heavy to hold. We may believe our efforts are too small, or that the change we need is too far out of reach. But these feelings—of uncertainty, frustration, and even fear—are part of the process, challenging traditional notions of democracy and reshaping them for the future.
In a recent Philosophy of Race lecture (PHIL 327), we explored the ideas of democracy in the face of adversity. Feeling lost, my professor offered a powerful insight: Every effort to protect and redefine democracy must come from the heart.
The teachings of American author bell hooks describe love as the foundation for justice. Her words—both gentle and bold—redefined love not as a mere sentiment but as something fierce and transformative at the core of democracy. To build and sustain the system, hooks reminds us, we must nurture it with love; with compassion, humility, and a commitment to the well-being of all. Conflict, she suggested, is the true test of trust—it’s in these moments that we learn how to make amends, listen deeply, and rebuild what has been wounded.
When we look to the future, may we act not only with conviction, but with the courage to love as a force that seeks the truth.
The future of democracy feels uncertain, making it easy to fear the unthinkable. But through caring for one another and standing together, we can protect it. Democracy isn’t just a system; it reflects our shared hopes and commitments to something we believe so deeply in. We can’t take it for granted, but we don’t have to defend it alone.
Looking back on my visits to the polls with my parents, I remember the reverence they instilled in me—their belief that casting a vote wasn’t just a civic duty, but a powerful act of faith in democracy. Today, that faith faces unprecedented challenges, but the essence persists: Democracy endures through every protest we attend, every truth we speak to power, and every right we stand to protect.
At the heart of it all lies love—the force that compels us to stand for something greater than ourselves. It is through love, not just for the values we cherish, but for each other, that we fulfill democracy’s promise. By fighting for the principles that define us, we can keep the tradition alive—not as a relic of the past, but as a force to shape a more resilient future.
