New American’s faith in elections isn’t rattled despite Nevada’s flare-ups

By Richard Johnson

Friday, May 27, 2016 | 2 a.m.

My friend Richard Johnson and his wife, Perla, attended the Nevada Democratic Convention recently; he as a delegate, she as a brand-new American citizen, eager to witness democracy in action. What follows is Richard’s view of the democratic process with its flaws and his wife’s reaction as a new voter trying to live a significant part of the American dream. Some may take issue with his opinion, although I don’t know why they would. But, as to the facts he recounts, they are facts. Period.

— Brian Greenspun

My wife, Perla, recently became a citizen of the United States. She was born in rural Aguascalientes, Mexico, and raised on a farm with five siblings. Her parents decided to pursue the American dream (providing a better life and more opportunities for their burgeoning family), bringing her to the United States when she was 6. Since then she dreamed of becoming a citizen of what she feels is the best country in the world. Becoming a citizen is a long and cumbersome process involving attorneys, examiners, fines, fees, interviews and exams.

Throughout the process I aided in her studying and preparation for the last round of interviews and exams. It was refreshing to revisit many things I had forgotten about our great country and its rich history. The preparation not only excited and invigorated her, but showed her how challenges in our society have been addressed and overcome. She learned about the smart processes and procedures of checks and balances that benefit the governance of our society.

Fast-forward to her first live look at democracy in action — the Nevada Democratic Party convention. She was excited to see devoted citizens working toward a common good, much as James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson had done while writing the Constitution and Bill of Rights. These men were futuristic thinkers who came together to discuss the path forward for the nation. This is the premise Perla held going into the convention.

Unfortunately, Nevada devolved from its proud “first in the West” caucus stature to a media sideshow fueled by flying chairs, police enforcement and death threats. Lack of knowledge during the convention led a few to overpower the many. Even though supporters of the two candidates are more in agreement than not on the main issues, they clashed over rulings and platforms that had already been agreed upon by both campaigns. People seemed to lose sight of the important facts or not be able to comprehend that at the end of the day, we are all Democrats trying to make the nation a better place for its people. Solidarity is needed to win the election and defeat Donald Trump.

Reading media reports and personal accounts regarding the state convention over the past couple of weeks has left Perla concerned, for we witnessed it all firsthand — the yelling, the police presence and the fear for one’s safety. The rabble-rousers in attendance are now trying to downplay the very actions that need to be addressed — their violent reactions to announcements during the convention that they disagreed with. In hindsight, the leaders more quickly needed to step up and command the unruly. People should never fear for their safety while participating in such a gathering.

The goal of elections is to select for leadership the most virtuous and knowledgeable person possible, a person better than one’s self, a person whom you can trust to do what’s best for society and its people. The events that took place during the convention made my wife feel as if Americans want to elect someone much like themselves. The virtuous leaders and politicians of the past don’t seem to be stepping up and taking control during these times. Perla seemed a bit fearful that people were succumbing to media hype and trends rather than studying the facts, knowing their history and electing the best candidate.

Many people, including my wife, had expectations of how a civil, democratic process should be conducted and were disappointed by the startling events of that day. The lack of civility from Nevadans could have made some soon-to-be-citizens or new voters cringe and turn away from the process entirely. The success of the nation is predicated on these people becoming involved in the political process, because they will shape the landscape of the future. Hopefully millennials, Hispanics and all immigrants are seeing what is happening firsthand. They need to take action, participate in the process, and make it more efficient in the future.

Perla will not let a few unruly people dissuade her from partaking in a civic duty, which she now holds dear. This experience that did not live up to her expectations has motivated her to know her history and her facts. In the end, Perla left the convention with the same resolve and optimism that she started the day with, much as what brave Americans possessed early in our nation’s history when faced with challenges. Though her first live experience of democracy wasn’t the greatest, she left feeling exhilarated by the infinite possibilities she now has as an American. She now has the ability to vote and campaign for her beliefs and values, as she clutches to America’s promises of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

That is democracy.