OPINION: We must work to defend our republic

In September 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention emerged from Independence Hall with the U.S. Constitution, laying the foundation of our government. Outside, Philadelphia civic leader Elizabeth Willing Powel approached Benjamin Franklin and asked, “Well, doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?”

Franklin’s answer was brief: “A republic, if you can keep it.”

It is striking that Franklin said this to Ms. Powel, a woman who would not have the right to vote for another 130 years. Whether Franklin intended it or not, the exchange captured an enduring truth of our nation: preserving a republic has always required more than the work of the people elected to hold office. It requires every single one of us. And if preserving the republic demands work from people who don’t hold office, then that work must extend to the masses.

We’ve seen that work throughout history with unsung heroes who risked everything to save the republic, despite their station in life. Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, working as a civilian medical doctor, was captured in 1864 by Confederate soldiers when she crossed enemy lines to gather intelligence for the Union and to help ailing Southern civilians. She was recognized for her skill in medicine, her grit and her patriotism when she was finally recognized as the only female assistant surgeon general in the U.S. Army and awarded the Medal of Honor in 1865.

Nearly 90 years later we saw that same type of civic rebellion when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on that Montgomery, Alabama bus, making history on Dec. 1, 1955. But it was the 40,000 anonymous Black bus riders, making up 75% of ridership, who boycotted on Dec. 5 that propelled the bus boycott. And it was the network of 300 volunteers who donned the heroes’ capes when they set up a system to transport their fellow Black neighbors to and from their jobs, grocery stores and schools.

Even today, we are witnessing the unfolding stories that will make history, with the ICE murders of Renee Nicole Good, Alex Pretti, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sebastian Guerrero. Protestors are taking to the streets to hold ICE agents accountable, to bear witness to illegal actions by our own government and to demand adherence to our Constitution and the rule of law. Millions more are showing up at “No Kings” rallies to reinforce Mr. Franklin’s confirmation that we do not have a monarchy and recommit to our intention to keep our republic.

As our nation celebrates its 250th birthday, I think about what it means that the American experiment has endured this long and the compassion, conviction and courage it takes from everyday civilians to heed the call to defend the experiment. We should celebrate that achievement. But an anniversary is not only a chance to look backward. It is a reminder that the republic has survived because generation after generation chose to defend it, improve it and bequeath it.

Just as every generation inherits a nation whose survival is not guaranteed, we inherited a challenge that threatens our republic, and we must rise to face it.

We may not agree on what that threat to our nation is, but we agree that something fundamental is at risk. Some people fear that rising costs have killed the American Dream. Others fear immigration or crime, and others fear executive overreach, political violence or losing their free speech and voting rights. Whatever those fears may be, underneath them is the shared worry that our institutions can’t protect our freedoms, solve problems or give working families a fair chance at success.

We cannot allow these fears to lead us to paralysis as we falsely conclude that participating in politics cannot change anything.

Participation begins with voting, but it cannot end there. Participating means telling the story of how losing food or health care benefits has impacted you at a town hall or public hearing. It means calling your representatives and asking them to support or oppose a bill. It means submitting comments on a proposed federal rule. It means supporting local journalism, peacefully protesting, serving on a community board, attending a school board meeting or helping a neighbor make their voice heard.

These actions do more than make us feel involved. They create a record of public opinion. They attract attention. They change political calculations. They give journalists, attorneys, advocates and lawmakers the information we need to expose misconduct and demand reform.

Public participation will not win every fight immediately. Sometimes it stops a proposal. Sometimes it delays an action, changes a policy, exposes an abuse or protects one family. Sometimes it lays the groundwork for a victory that comes years later. Sometimes it changes the course of history.

None of us has to do everything. But all of us can do something.

Franklin did not promise that keeping a republic would be easy. He reminded us whose responsibility it was. It is ours.