The Arrival of True Democracy

Democracy, as outlined by Aristotle from the very beginning, is based on the principle of equal access to power for everyone in society. Over the last two weeks we have begun to see the arrival of true democracy to the world, not through the firing of guns and wars on terror but in the very buildings where democracy is, or at least should be, taking place.

Following the pomp and circumstance of Barack Obama’s inauguration as America’s first black president (yes, it is ok to say that), another victory for democracy will be taking place with slightly less pageantry (but no less importance) in the financially fraught nation of Iceland. Johanna Sigurdardottir, the current foreign affairs minister is expected to take over the reigns for the ailing Geir Haarde.

But why is this such a big deal? That’s exactly the point! Let me explain.

In his speech last Tuesday, Barack Obama pointed out how “a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath...” At the same that Obama was elected as president, a country with a gruesome history of racism took a huge step towards the further not just the eradication of racism but to moving past race as a barrier to true democracy.

Jump ahead, one week later and another wall is being torn down as Johanna Sigurdardottir will become the first openly gay women to become a Prime Minister. Yet that question still lingers: Why is this such a big deal? The truth is it’s not.

Although moments like Obama’s inauguration and the selection of Johanna Sigurdardottir draw attention and headlines it is actually the subsequent silence that is most significant; not silence on the issue of homosexuality but the silence of the critics. A silence that signifies a realization of the equality we share as human beings regardless of our skin colour, sexuality, religion, or beliefs and the insignificance of everything that works against this principle. The silence that marks the arrival of a true democracy.

Despite these significant steps however it is clear there is still work to be done. The fact that the headlines will no doubt cite Sigurdardottir’s sexual orientation is proof enough that we are still not totally comfortable with homosexuality. If we were, maybe we would instead hear the story how Sigurdardottir worked her way up as a flight attendant in the 60’s and 70’s and has been a mainstay in Icelandic politics since 1978. Maybe we would hear the story of how she missed an opportunity to become leader of the Social Democratic Party in 1994 and marked her defeat with the quote: “My time will come.”

These traits of hard-work and commitment, which mirror those virtues profiled in Obama’s speech last week, make her seem like a perfect candidate to bring Iceland out of a very dark period. Wouldn’t it have been a shame if she had been ignored because of who she was?

It is very seldom in the news we hear anyone applaud anyone for anything but in my view several positive steps have been taken in the last few weeks for both democracy and equality. I sincerely hope that these moments will not be forgotten, but that their memory will put to rest the irrelevant and un-democratic roadblocks we have been obstructed by for so long.

Will Grassby