The debate between Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris felt more like a setup than an authentic exchange of ideas, revealing a growing concern about the state of American democracy. Watching it unfold, it was apparent to many that this was not a fair fight. There were murmurs that the head of ABC, which hosted the debate, has close ties to Harris. If true, it begs the question: how fair could such a debate be? It would be like walking into a competition where the referee is your opponent’s best friend—no matter how good you are, the odds are stacked against you.
This sentiment resonates deeply in the larger political landscape of the United States, particularly concerning the Democratic Party and the role Vice President Kamala Harris has played in recent years. Many feel that Harris was forced upon the American people without their true consent. Like buying a car and being promised one thing, only to drive away with a lemon that looks like the car you wanted but performs poorly, the American people, particularly those who voted for Joe Biden, feel deceived. They didn’t pick Harris, but somehow, they ended up with her—a bait-and-switch situation that leaves a bad taste in many mouths.
The frustration doesn’t end there. The Democratic Party, once considered the champion of the people, now appears to have lost touch with its base, creating a cult-like environment where dissent is not only discouraged but punished. The parallels with the COVID-19 vaccine frenzy are striking. During the height of the pandemic, individuals who chose not to get vaccinated were shunned by family, friends, and colleagues. Now, a similar silence is imposed on those who dare to speak out against Harris or the Democratic Party. Especially within the Black community, where loyalty to the party has long been expected, even a whisper of criticism can lead to social and professional exile.
The most disturbing part is how this mirrors a broader, more troubling reality: the erosion of democracy itself. Once, there was at least an ideal to strive toward—a belief that, while imperfect, the system could be fixed, that freedom could one day be fully realized, especially for marginalized groups like Black Americans. But today, that illusion is fading fast. The idea that America is a land of the free is beginning to crumble under the weight of political manipulation, corporate influence, and social control.
For Black people, the notion of freedom has always been tenuous. Despite centuries of fighting for civil rights and equality, true freedom in America has always felt just out of reach. Yet, there was a belief—a hope—that one day things would change. Now, however, the entire system seems rigged beyond repair. The baton switch seen in the election of Harris, the silencing of dissenting voices, and the forced acceptance of a political status quo that doesn’t represent the people—it all speaks to a deeper problem.
We are living in an age where freedom of speech is becoming a relic of the past. Questioning the dominant narrative, especially if you’re not in line with the Democratic Party’s agenda, comes at a heavy cost. This is particularly dangerous for a democracy, a system supposedly built on the free exchange of ideas and the power of the people to decide their leaders. But if the people no longer have a voice, if debates are rigged, and political leaders are installed without genuine support from the populace, can we truly call it a democracy anymore?
Perhaps America was never fully free. For Black Americans, the scars of slavery, segregation, and systemic racism run deep, and the fight for freedom has always been an uphill battle. Yet there was at least the hope of freedom, the notion that one day, we could be equal participants in this grand democratic experiment. Now, even that hope seems to be slipping away. The system is so broken, so corrupted by special interests and backroom deals, that it’s hard to imagine a way forward.
The sad truth is that we may no longer live in a democracy. What we have instead is a carefully managed illusion of freedom, where the powerful pull the strings, and the people are left to deal with the consequences. It’s a reality where speaking out can cost you everything—your job, your relationships, your reputation. And while the illusion may still be convincing for some, for others, it’s becoming clearer by the day that the American dream has been rigged from the start.
So, where do we go from here? How do we reclaim a system that no longer serves the people? These are the questions we must begin to ask ourselves as we confront the reality of a nation in decline. America may still call itself the land of the free, but until we address the deep systemic issues that plague our democracy, true freedom will remain out of reach.
