A Fragile Trust

A system only works if there’s trust. Democracy, the judiciary, and the police are all built to serve and protect us. They’re evolving and flawed, but they’re only as strong as the trust we place in them. Pointing out their flaws isn’t the problem—it’s actually what makes these systems stronger and fairer for everyone. The real danger is apathy, the kind that leads to a complete lack of faith and an unwillingness to make the system better.

Take, for instance, what happens when someone commits a violent crime. We have a system for dealing with this—due process. Without it, the victim’s family might take justice into their own hands, risking harm to innocent people if they’re wrong. The system provides protections not only for the accused but also for society, accounting for things like mental illness or other circumstances that may affect how justice should be served.

If people stop trusting the justice system, they might decide to handle things themselves, creating chaos rather than safety. We would be left building up our own little armies, our own private security, and dealing with conflicts that would make life more dangerous for everyone. History has shown us what happens when societies fall into this “every person for themselves” mentality—it only leads to more violence, more division, and less safety for all.

This system of law and order is run by humans, so yes, it makes mistakes. It has biases. Over the years, through protests and reform efforts, we’ve put regulations in place to curb any one person’s power. We elect judges who go through rigorous training and take oaths to uphold the law. We train lawyers who are bound by a strict code of conduct. Sure, there are still flaws and bad actors, but it’s a system that evolves. And that system needs our trust if it’s going to work.

The founding fathers understood this when they crafted our Constitution. Over time, we’ve put in amendments and protections to keep improving the system and to help it serve everyone better. Governing millions of people from different backgrounds, values, and beliefs is no easy task. In the wild, it’s the strong who survive, but the government exists to ensure the protection of the young, the weak, and the marginalized. Without it, the rich and powerful would swallow up everyone else.

And it all hinges on trust.

The same goes for voting. Voting is a form of civil liberty that gives each of us a voice. It’s far from perfect, but it’s the best system we have. And like the judicial system, the voting process is protected by checks and balances, training, and regulations. Yes, there are politicians who abuse power, gerrymander districts, and try to bend the system. But we have safeguards to prevent any one person from seizing control of the entire process.

The biggest threat to that system is when the public loses trust in it. When we stop believing in our vote, we’re practically handing over control to anyone shrewd enough to seize it.

The press is no different. Our freedom depends on a free press, on good journalists who work to tell the truth. Authoritarians know that the easiest way to gain power is by controlling information and making people doubt what’s true. People who try to tear down the integrity of the press aren’t looking out for the public’s best interest—they’re trying to destabilize the very system that protects our freedoms.

Figures like Donald Trump are dangerous for this reason. They aren’t necessarily breaking laws; they’re just making people stop trusting the system, pushing people to turn against it for their own gain. And if the public loses faith in these systems that took generations to build, we’ll find ourselves on the edge of civil war and anarchy. As frustrating as our current system can be, chaos and anarchy are far worse.

Our leaders and institutions should be held accountable. We need to protect the system from corporate greed, private interests, and any one person or group that might have too much influence. While “burning it all down” might sound like a quick fix, it’s not. The tougher path is to keep building, to fix what’s broken, and to keep working toward that “more perfect union.” But the more trust we lose—especially with public figures actively fueling that distrust—the fewer good people we’ll see stepping up to take on the responsibility of improving our society.

And then there’s the matter of the transfer of power. The peaceful transfer of power is one of the most remarkable aspects of our democracy. It sets us apart from many other nations, where rulers cling to power, and the only way to depose them is through revolution or military force. When we lose an election, stepping aside shows that the system works, that it’s fair and just. But when someone tries to rile up a mob, challenge election results, and encourage violence, it tears at the fabric of our fragile system of trust.

We take democracy for granted, forgetting how much trust is required to keep it running. Disagreement and protest are normal, but when we call for revolution or civil war, we’ll see just how fragile our system truly is. We need these systems to work for all of us. Where they’re unfair, let’s make them fairer. Where there are loopholes, let’s close them. But losing faith in the whole system is far more dangerous. The best minds are already shying away from public service, and that leaves the door open for the wrong people to take control. We need to make it an honor to serve again, to rebuild and protect our democracy.

Figures like Trump, by undermining our Free Press, our judiciary, and our voting systems, have done immense harm to the stability of our democracy. They do this not for the good of the people but to make way for their own power. And when we lose trust in the systems that protect us, we all end up less safe and less free.

What we need now is to restore trust, to encourage good people to enter public service, and to stop letting the worst among us run the show. Because in the end, that’s what keeps us free.

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Harnessing Fear as Fuel

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The Trouble with Comparison