Project 2025 Democracy Is Born With Bloodshed And Toil, But Dies With A Thunderous Applause

"Democracy is not a spectator sport." - Marian Wright Edelman

"The price of liberty is eternal vigilance." - Thomas Jefferson

"Democracy dies in darkness." - The Washington Post

"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." - Winston Churchill

"A democracy is more than a form of government; it is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience." - John Dewey

"Democracy is fragile and must be protected. It requires constant care and effort from all of us." - Barack Obama

"The health of a democracy is measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens." - Alexis de Tocqueville

"Elections alone do not a democracy make." - Barack Obama

"A functioning democracy is fragile. It requires not just adherence to the law but to the spirit of the law." - Joe Biden

"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." - Winston Churchill

"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." - John Adams

"Real liberty is neither found in despotism or the extremes of democracy, but in moderate governments." - Alexander Hamilton

"Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths." - James Madison

"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." - Benjamin Franklin

"An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one which should not only be founded on free principles but in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among several bodies of magistracy as that no one could transcend their legal limits without being effectually checked and restrained by the others." - Thomas Jefferson

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." - Abraham Lincoln

"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money." - Alexis de Tocqueville

"Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal." - Aristotle

"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." - Winston Churchill

"The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism." - George Washington

Project 2025's Approach to Identity and Social Policy

Opposition to "Radical Gender Ideology"

Project 2025 strongly opposes what it describes as "radical gender ideology" and advocates for the federal government to uphold a "biblically based, social-science-reinforced definition of marriage and family." This initiative includes the removal of protections against discrimination based on sexual or gender identity and an overhaul of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, which it refers to as "state-sanctioned racism."

Eliminating DEI Programs and Protections

The project seeks to eliminate DEI provisions from federal legislation and proposes dismissing federal employees who have participated in DEI programs or training involving critical race theory. The aim, according to Project 2025, is to establish "race-neutral" policies within federal agencies, reversing what it sees as DEI-focused labor policies.

Restrictions on Pronoun Use in Schools

Public school teachers would be required to obtain written permission from a transgender student's legal guardian to use the student's preferred pronouns. This measure is part of the project's broader goal to restrict policies related to gender identity in educational settings.

Dismantling the White House Gender Policy Council

Project 2025 includes the dismantling of the White House Gender Policy Council, an organization created to advance gender equality and prevent discrimination. Project 2025 argues that policies should avoid focusing on identity categories such as gender, race, or ethnicity.

Limitations on Data Collection and Quotas

The project proposes prohibiting government agencies from setting quotas or collecting statistics on gender, race, or ethnicity. This shift is aimed at promoting a "colorblind" approach, as stated by contributor Jonathan Berry, who explains the goal is to treat people "like full human beings not reducible to categories, especially when it comes to race."

Reforming the U.S. Census Bureau

Project 2025 advocates for a restructuring of the U.S. Census Bureau along conservative lines, suggesting that data collection methods and policies should align with its vision of race-neutral governance.

Conclusion

Project 2025's approach to identity issues emphasizes eliminating protections and programs centered on diversity and inclusion. Critics warn these changes could roll back protections for marginalized groups and reshape federal policies on social issues, especially those affecting gender and race.