There is a children’s book called “The Little Red Hen,” by Paul Galdone. It tells the story of a cat, dog, mouse and a little red hen who live together. But most of the animals are lazy, leaving all the chores for the hen. When the hen plants some wheat, waters and harvests it, and bakes it into a cake, each animal is asked who will help, and each replies, “Not I!” Not one seems concerned, until, of course, it is time to eat.

Believe it or not, the story has a happy ending, but at this point, the reader is just rooting for the hen. Obviously, the hen has done the hard work, right? Why should she share? Why should the cat, dog, or mouse benefit at all from the hen’s efforts? Should they even get a say in anything around the house? After all, they do nothing but laze around and make more work for the hen.

It’s a great story to teach children about hard work, and for years this book has reminded me of American politics.

I found myself thinking about this book recently. My husband told me a colleague asked him not long ago if I had won my election. I scoffed, “You’re kidding me, right?!” I had run unsuccessfully for state Senate, and listening to my husband, I wasn’t sure what took me more by surprise. The fact that this colleague, someone who works in higher education, didn’t know that I had lost two years ago, or that they clearly didn’t know who their state senator was. A few weeks later, I read a headline stating Americans are worried about our democracy but uninterested in doing anything to protect it.

It seems that some Americans think democracy is a noun, something to passively observe. They’re sitting on the sidelines saying, “Not I!” while others are stepping up, calling the plays, and running the ball down the field.

I’ve watched as a few “little red hens” show up to do the work. You know who they are. They lead your local and state Democratic parties, trying to get good candidates to run, making calls, knocking doors, and asking for donations. When I think of the local Democratic party, it can be like pulling teeth to get anyone to serve on municipal and county committees, let alone get anyone to run for office. All the while, others are furious at election or legislative losses, but never contributed when help was needed.

So that leaves a lot of people as cats, dogs, or mice, showing up just in time for election day, sometimes only for presidential elections, often not even knowing who the candidates are — candidates who will become state representatives and make critical legislative decisions that impact our everyday lives. Don’t believe me? Ask any teacher you know if school boards matter. Ask the person running for state house or senate where they stand on women’s reproductive freedom. Or how they feel about an insurance company making mid-year changes to prescription formularies. Make them give you a straight answer. Because they may vote on it.

Because so few step up to do the work, or engage in conversations, the work is left to those who do show up. And guess who has been showing up? Consistently? Ultra-conservatives. The ones who don’t believe our elections are secure. The ones who think it’s OK to make fun of someone’s husband being viciously attacked with a hammer, and then refuse to admit to their own debased comments. These people thrive on scare tactics and misinformation. To them, the breakdown in civil discourse is an opportunity, not a tragedy.

Our democracy is on the line. Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel is often credited with saying, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.”

Are Americans apathetic about saving our democracy? I don’t believe so. I think we have different ideas as to how to save it. Can you be like the little red hen, and do more? (Be honest.) Probably. But do you have to do everything? No.

At this very moment, I don’t think it’s complicated. American democracy needs all hands on deck. Election Day is Tuesday. Be a little red hen and do your job: show up and vote.

Hilary Koch lives in Waterville. She can be reached at: hilarykoch@pm.me

 

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