Congress is where Americans are supposed to have our big, messy political fights. That's because the people who make the laws need to be hired and fired by the people. Don't like the laws? Fire the lawmakers.
Interpretation
Congress is the arena for political debate, reflecting democracy where citizens can hold lawmakers accountable.
In this quote, Ben Sasse emphasizes the role of Congress as a democratic platform for political contention among Americans. He suggests that the essence of democracy lies in the ability of citizens to influence their lawmakers through voting, with the power to change laws by either supporting or opposing those who create them. By framing political discourse as a necessary and sometimes chaotic process, he highlights the accountability that lawmakers have to their constituents.
In practice
During a public speech about voting, one might say, 'As Ben Sasse reminds us, Congress is where Americans are supposed to have our big, messy political fights.'
Among the responsibilities of each citizen in a participatory democracy is keeping ourselves sufficiently informed so that we can participate effectively, argue our positions honorably, and hopefully, forge sufficient consensus to understand each other and then to govern.
Becoming a reader grows our horizons, our appetite for the good, the true and the beautiful, and our empathy.
The health of our republic depends on shared principles like the First Amendment, but it is also built on the Teddy Roosevelt-like vigor of its citizens and local self-reliance.
Being stuck in adolescence - that's a hell. 'Peter Pan' is a dystopia, and we forget that. Neverland is a bad place to be.
Rising political tribalism, shamelessly exaggerating our opponents' claims or behavior, is leaving us vulnerable: No one loves America's internal fighting - and our increasingly siloed news consumption - more than Vladimir Putin.
Good history is good story-telling. And good story-telling demands empathy; it requires understanding different actors, differing motivations, competing goals.
We can't have an intelligent foreign policy unless we have an intelligent public, because we're a democracy.
Above all else, we need a reaffirmation of political commitment at the highest levels to reducing the dangers that arise both from existing nuclear weapons and from further proliferation.
Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.
All politics is a struggle for power; the ultimate kind of power is violence.
Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!
Democracy is an awful way to run a country, but it's the best system we have.
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