Democracy: Cradle of Rights or Cradle of Entitlement?
Daniela Wedel | Nomad’s View
To Democracy
(a poem)
“To Democracy”: thoughts on democracy displayed on a wall in Paris, paired together with French graffiti saying: “Liberty, Life, Peace”
Image | Daniela Wedel
TO DEMOCRACY
TOO SPOILED TO THINK ABOUT democracy
TOO SAFE TO WORRY ABOUT democracy
TOO RICH TO INVEST IN democracy
TOO COMFORTABLE TO MOVE FOR democracy
TOO ENTITLED TO FIGHT FOR democracy
TOO LATE TO WAKE UP IN democracy
Various observations, that I will share with you in a moment, and a stroll through my photo series “Social distancing” led me to write the poem “To Democracy”. At the same time it led me also to the provocative statement:
Democracy - cradle of entitlement? Democracy – cradle of rights!
When I brainstormed this month’s theme of our Guide Collective magazine, “Democracy”, I could not detach it from the world’s preoccupation of the last months, living with Covid. At first I wanted to avoid the subject because I am aware of the emotional charge that it carries. But I could not, and so I want to propose some personal thoughts to you that are by no means to be seen as a fixed statement, but rather as an inspiration for conversation. In the context that we live in, ideas like “Public spirit”, citizens obligations and responsibility towards others seem to have gained bigger importance in the broader discussion in society. So also have the discussion of the measures and political actions taken by different governments and, even more so, the reaction of people in different countries (which are of course falsely generalized but are taken in consideration as a “people’s response”).
My observations that I propose to you are influenced by these discussions surrounding me in everyday life, and in the different French, German or US news channels that I follow. I’d like to try to apply my observations to the general idea of “Living in a democracy”. I have a look at the different places with different rules where I have spent my time during this period. Today I chose two observations that I made in France, which portray the complexity of the subject.
“Fête de la musique” : Spontaneous celebration in the streets of Avignon where big meetings were not recommended by the government at that time (June 2020). Masks were only recommended to be worn outside, but not mandatory.
Image | Daniela Wedel
“Waiting for Baguettes” : People wait in Avignon at the bakery which sells their goods through the open door so people don’t even go inside the shop anymore. Customers wear masks on the street and keep distance, both of them are just recommendations and not enforced by law at that moment (July 2020)
Image | Daniela Wedel
“Copy of Statue of Liberty in Colmar” (birthplace of Auguste Bartholdi, designer of the Statue of Liberty). Liberty, standing for values of democracy and freedom, is dressed in a “Yellow Jacket” in acknowledgement of the “Yellow Jacket” movement of 2018/2019” in France. The “Yellow Jacket” movement had a big success and a high participation in the first weeks and months, but eventually it led also to a lot of criticism forharmingFrance economically and bringing the country to a stand-still without formulating one strong goal and not being centralized and orchestered in an effective way. Many people turned away after months of activism. Some are still on the roads as the demonstrations are officially still going on.
Image | Daniela Wedel
I came to the interim-conclusion (a work in progress) that individuals react to the “new lifestyle”, the new rules imposed by COVID-19 (or the government, which is also a point of view, and another discussion), just as they would have reacted to changes affecting their lives beforehand. More specifically, people that were considerate of others before continue to be so, and people that have had their own interest as a priority still do so. I believe that COVID and the living situation that it creates intensifies the actions and reactions of people and shows their personality clearer. This clarity may be a result of the common base and common factors that the world and humanity is exposed to.
The fact that today social consciousness and consideration of the other are crucial to protect not only oneself but also the life of others, and my observation that many people seem to ignore this fact and its importance, lead me to the conclusion that many people all over the world have forgotten about some of the values, rights and obligations of living together in a society. These two factors (to stay the same and to ignore “good” social behaviour) paired together with the justification of their behaviour through their right of freedom, which they then justify by the fact of living in a democratic society, guides me to make the connection with democracy.
I wonder what many people’s expectations are and what ideas of obligations come to their mind.I know we are all familiar with democracy, but maybe it is just too simple and established that we overlook it and so we have to wonder: How can it be that many of us think that they have the right to freedom without considering that the other person, living in the same society, under the same political system and even the same government, has the same rights? “I want my freedom to do what I want and the system that I live in gives me my right to do so. But I don’t give it to the other if he or she doesn’t want the same.”
This is not a new thought, but it is an ongoing challenge of Democracy, it seems, to remind ourselves that there is a point where our own personal freedom has limits and that of others starts. I think that the challenge of this concept can be clearly observed in these last months in democratic societies. (I am consciously not looking to make a comparison with other political systems for reasons of length of this article).
Author’s note: My thoughts are by no means meant to discuss political sides or to draw final conclusions but as a proposal for observation of applied democracy based on the example of Covid. What is my role and position in a democratic society as an individual being part of a large group? I hope that I am able to inspire in you some streams of thought that feel valuable to you and your time.
