INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY! TUESDAY, September 15, 2020

 Tuesday, September 15, is designated by the United Nations as INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY. You can learn more about that HERE. This post features two books that explore the role of ELECTIONS in a functional democracy. << This link << is a wordy description of the central role of free and fair elections in actual democracies, as offered by our US State Department. For a more kid-friendly approach to the subject, PLEASE click>>, explore, and share the interactive educational website created by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor after she retired, iCIVICS. 

Albert Whitman & Co. 2020

A very recent picture book release targets readers from preschool through primary ages. Both text and images will work well with older elementary kids, too. A VOTE IS A POWERFUL THING is written by Catherine Stier and illustrated by Courtney Dawson. The author's dedication frames the story: "To those with the courage and commitment to change the world."

The first person narrator presents as a white girl in a diverse and enthusiastic classroom of kids who are learning what it means to vote. More importantly, they are focusing on the WHY of voting as much or more than the HOW. The teacher offers to conduct election campaigns, but only if the candidates or issues really matter. Choosing where their next field trip will be certainly matters to those classroom kids. One of the two options is narrator Callie's favorite place, the Wildlife Reserve, but that will be a tough sell compared to a tour of a Cookie Factory. 

Callie takes on the challenge of convincing enough voters to choose the Wilderness Park trip. In the process, she reflects, writes, researches, makes posters, gives speeches, and ultimately overcomes the lure of free cookie samples in a tie-breaker result! (More evidence that every vote matters.) Her success and the newfound fans of the Wilderness Park lead Callie and friends to become active in a community campaign to support the Wilderness Park. Simple back matter provides further facts about who can vote, how to vote, and a timeline of voting rights in USA. This is followed by a short note indicating sources Callie might have used to research the importance of wilderness parks, followed by a short bibliography.

Penguin Random House, 2018

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT ELECTIONS, written by Ruby Shamir and illustrated by Matt Faulkner, is a great source for established readers to continue learning about elections and why they matter. This sixty-page nonfiction book has a low word count and lots of page appeal. It provides perspective, accessible explanations, and colorful  illustrations that take readers to the earliest days of voting in a brand new democracy, the United States of America

The contrast between early voting days and 2020 voting is stark. The lively holiday spirit of those original election days included bonfires, picnics, parades, and community gatherings. Our climate (at the time of this writing) is just the opposite, with various voter-suppression actions reported in the news on a daily basis. Modern day proposals could make election day work-free (as a holiday or on a weekend), provide universal registration, expand vote-by-mail, and other approaches, none of which are gaining traction within a polarized political climate. 

Illustrator Matt Faulkner depicts vibrant, diverse, and energized members of communities in various scenes, which should spark discussions about the who/what/and why of eligibility and access to voting throughout our history, as well as the evolving access to wider representation by becoming a candidate in elections. The inset boxes of useful related facts are brief and relevant to the body of the text, with back matter including a timeline and author's note. This is one of a series of titles exploring related topics (FREEDOM, FIRST LADIES, and AMERICANS).  

The focus in this and the first picture book is on the role of elections in this country. Older readers would do well to investigate elections throughout global democracies in history and in current events. Comparing those practices, changes over time, and election integrity might invite discussions about ways we Americans can better preserve free and fair elections.

I recommend use of both books by teachers and parents, with plenty of conversation connecting these reliable factual sources to reliable factual content about our current election. Speaking of current elections, UW-Madison is offering  a one day on-line program with a wealth of resources on this topic. In the midst of exhausting back-to-school lives, it's worth at least taking a a look at what they include even though it is on a Saturday, September 26. Parents and teachers, give this a look to help raise informed citizens, please. The future of Democracy is in their hands.

Anchor in time: Covid 19, Black Lives Matter, and why not throw in election conflicts (just for this post, given the topic).

My worry increases about the rising denial/dismissal of the seriousness of Covid 19. How hard can it be to wear a mask and respect physical distance? Pretty hard, it seems. This weekend the USA-based Covid death toll reached 200,000, and is still climbing. I will not comment about how political leadership/decisions had the potential to keep that number lower. *Sigh*

Black Lives Matter protests continue. locally and around the country. As televised sports resume, athletes and whole teams are using their visible platforms to express support and maintain awareness. Women's US Open Champion Naomi  Osaka wore a series of black masks bearing the names of individuals who died at the hands of police at each appearance. NFL games resumed with the Texans and Chief locking arms at the center of the field, but were met with BOOS from the limited ticket holders. BOOS for unity, before any flags or pledges or songs occurred. *Sigh*

Elections: Here in Wisconsin the mandated deadline for mailing out ballots for the November election is September 17 for those who requested them, and September 19 for those serving in the military. Sadly, our state Supreme Court delayed a decision about a challenge from the Green Party candidates, which means ballots cannot be mailed until that decision is made. The deadline could easily be missed, and ballots may not be returned in time to be counted in the election. Curious about that? Here's one report. An update: ON the morning that this post went live, the WI Supreme Court determined that changing the ballots at this point would endanger the election process.  I'm celebrating one step forward in protecting voting rights.