Democracy Doesn't Defend Itself -- We Do
Democracy isn’t lost in a single moment—it erodes bit by bit, when people stop paying attention, when power is abused, and when fear is used to divide us.
We - the League of Women Voters of Seattle King Country - reject any and all ploys that seek to overwhelm us or turn us against our neighbor. Yet, that is what we are now facing. Across the country, democracy is being tested—not in abstract debates, but in tangible ways that affect our daily lives. Will the America we know endure if we, the people, don’t fight for it?
And how we fight is as important as what we are fighting for. We must reject the politics of fear and division. League is proudly a nonpartisan organization. We do not support political candidates nor political parties. Instead, we focus on issues of public concern. We believe in a democracy by and for all people—regardless of political party, race, gender, religion or background. We are unwavering in our commitment to facts, accountability, and collective power. Our work is not theoretical. It happens every day—at high schools where we register new voters, at community meetings where we fight gerrymandering, at candidate forums where voters can hear about issues, and much more.
Earlier this month, the LWV-US published an Oath to Democracy. This oath asserts that, “for over a century, the heart and soul of our work has been centering voters' voices in democracy. We’ve participated in many of our nation’s most pivotal voting rights battles, from women’s suffrage to the Equal Rights Amendment to the passage of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA)and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).”
The Oath expresses the core ideals that the League has upheld for over a century: a belief in a strong democracy by and for all people.
At this juncture in our nation’s history, the League is embarking on a Women Defend Democracy campaign to:
• Provide democracy education and election support,
• Restore and defend voting rights protections,
• Abolish the Electoral College,
• Protect democracy organizations,
• Fight for reproductive freedoms and protect bodily autonomy, and
• Defend communities that are targeted based on their identities, such as gender, race, political party, ability, and financial status.
We will not be deterred from these tasks.
As the League continues to grow, we mark the journey into our second century determined to become an organization that reflects the beautiful diversity of our country. While our work is far from done, our expansion, partnered with our century of tried and true experience, positions us as powerful defenders of democracy. We are forever steadfast in our commitment to empower voters. Join us to protect life, liberty and justice.