DALLAS — 13 Presidential Centers recently put out an urgent call to action for all Americans in an attempt to save and strengthen U.S. Democracy.
The unprecedented joint statement was spearheaded by the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas.
Executive Director David Kramer says there was no specific tipping point that sparked the effort.
"It was just a sense that there are extremes on both sides that seem to be drowning out the middle, the majority," Kramer told us on Y’all-itics. "And we wanted to try to give voice to that majority."
The Presidential Centers who signed onto the statement run the gamut, from the Hoover Presidential Foundation to the Obama Foundation, the Roosevelt Institute to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.
Kramer says the idea is that all Americans have a role to play to preserve the world’s oldest democracy.
That even involves disagreeing and debating with one another, but with civility and respect, because it challenges citizens to think through their positions.
And Kramer says it also involves taking action, from participating in neighborhood organizations to improve local parks, running for office, joining the military, even volunteering for a campaign if you’re so inclined.
“It isn’t quite enough, frankly, for people to bemoan what’s happening and get frustrated and develop a sense of apathy,” Kramer said. “If you’re not happy with the current situation, then get involved and try to change it. If you are happy, then try to continue it and that’s up to the individual to make that choice.”
While Kramer says reaction to the joint statement has been mainly positive, and they’ve seen signs it has sparked discussion, he says some have criticized it for not naming names.
That was a conscience decision he tells us.
"Because this is bigger than any individual," Kramer said. "This is about restoring trust in our democratic institutions and our democratic principles. And naming names would wind up alienating. It isn’t what we wanted to do. This is about our future, where we’re going, and to remind our fellow Americans of how far we have come in our history."
Listen to the entire episode of Y’all-itics to learn more about what you can do and how they convinced 13 different Presidential Centers to get on board. Cheers!