Democracy Day
July 7, 2023
Happy Democracy Day!
I figure I would take some time out of my absence to mark this important occasion. As some of you might know, I am currently in Berlin, a city that serves as a living reminder of Germany's troubled history with democracy. Democracy in the real world and democracy on NationStates fail for different reasons, but when you examine them closely, you'll find more than a few common threads. The existence of institutions that serve as a check on the executive's power is an essential part of any democratic system, but they are easy to corrode. Malicious actors can cast doubt on these institutions simply through words - divisive rhetoric, misinformation, or even obstructing the flow of information. Democracy is so fragile because it requires so many people to work in good faith to maintain it, and on this special day for our region, let us remember those before us who had fought for and protected democracy in TNP so that we can continue to enjoy it today.
One way to help protect democracy, of course, is by protecting the rule of law. And to protect the rule of law, it is important that people know what the law is and trust that the judicial system applies it fairly to everyone. That is why our annual tradition of distributing the pocket Constitution is such an important symbolic exercise - a physical copy of our laws that can sit with you any time, as a reminder of TNP and the values we hold dear. So for the seventh year runnning, we are opening order for the 2023 edition of your free TNP pocket Constitution at the link here. As always, the process is completely anonymous with no name or any information required other than an address. Once again, the continuation of this unique tradition could not have happened without @Crushing Our Enemies, who has led this project and handled the printing and shipping every year since its inception. On behalf of the region, I thank him for his continued dedication to the project.
Finally, I'm going to do something a little different from my predecessors. As we find ourselves in a time when democracy is increasingly under threat in the real world, I implore you to think also about what you can do to protect democracy. Whether it's volunteering to be an election worker, joining in on activism, or simply by voting (if you have the privilege to do so), every little bit counts. It is only through the will of the people that democracy endures.
P.S. As many of you will already know, due to NationStates rules this event cannot be discussed on the NationStates site, including the Regional Message Board and the NationStates forums.