song for theme #31: Education for Democracy

“Strengthen Democracy” by Stephen P. Cook

to be sung to the tune of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” / by Samuel Francis Smith / Thomas Arne

Strengthen democracy¹

Safeguard our liberty²

Through public schools³

Independent thinking

From tough choices not shrinking

Social contract⁴ inking

Let smart people rule

Ignorance has no place

Knowledge wins the race

For democracy

Schools provide the drills

To build much needed skills

In children they instill

A dream to live free

Lets work for common good⁵

And peace and brotherhood

Through public schools

Build our community

Home where we want to be

Good life for you and me

Let compassion rule

Big money you will fail

Our votes aren’t for sale⁶

Banish corruption

Students who take good notes

Grow to cast better votes

High tide lifts all boats

Good education

SONG—NOTES / COMMENTS

1— Democracy is government by the people, controlled by majority vote of the people as a whole, as opposed to government

      controlled by a particular class, group, or individual.  A democratic government where a constitution provides laws

      guaranteeing rights and liberties is known as a liberal democracy.

2—Many argue that making liberal democracy succeed is best done by promoting liberal education. The Association of American

     Colleges and Universities describes this as "education that empowers individuals with broad knowledge and transferable skills,

     and a stronger sense of values, ethics, and civic engagement ... characterized by challenging encounters with important issues”

     (in contrast to narrower fields of study).

3— Public schools can be distinguished from religious schools—the former are government-supported secular free schools that are

      financed by taxpayers; the latter are schools affiliated with some religion, which typically promote the religious beliefs of their

      sponsor, and charge students tuition.

4— A social contract is between the people and their rulers in which the duties and rights of each are defined and constrained. It

      says that rulers have legitimacy only if they have the consent of those they govern.

5— The common good can be defined narrowly as what is good for every member of the community; others broaden the

      community here to include all human beings, and their planetary home.

6—Cynics of the USA political/lobbying/campaign huge $ contribution influence peddling scene say “We have the best govern-

      ment money can buy!”

Comment: In “Democracy and the Evolution of Societal Intelligence,” Tom Atlee defines the latter as “the ability of a whole society to learn and cope creatively with its environment.” And identifies the challenge as learning “to become not only democratic but wisely democratic as individuals, as groups and as a society.”