AMERICA, the acclaimed world headquarters of democracy, recently faced unprecedented presidential election outcome challenges that shook its entire democratic foundation. The entire world watched helplessly as the masters of democracy practically wobbled on everything it was respected for. America has had the longest flourishing democracy without experiencing crisis over the outcome of a presidential election as it happened this time around.
President Donald Trump who was defeated in a presidential election that he was seeking reelection rejected the outcome and contested the results in the states where he lost. And that made it look like he has no faith in the system that brought him to power.
America that has over the years developed very firm democratic institutions which made her democracy to thrive to the admiration of the whole world suddenly became a mockery of other nations that are beginning to embrace democracy. America has never had any serious issues from any election outcome because everybody appears to believe and respect her institutions of democracy.
I recall the 2016 presidential election when Trump who was not a career politician and never held any known political office stormed the American political space with such an irresistible campaign slogan to ‘Make America Great Again’ or ‘America First.’ He almost was not taken seriously at the start of his electioneering campaign.
Trump started as an independent candidate and later invaded the Republican Party in what is considered to be a magic by many political watchers. Nobody thought Trump could secure the presidential ticket of the Republican party, much less to defeat an establishment and heavy weight political career person like Mrs. Hilary Clinton in the presidential election.
Mrs Clinton was once an American First Lady and a former Secretary of State. She was also a two-time runner for the exalted office of the president of the United States and was enjoying the support of then incumbent President, Mr. Barak Obama, her former boss. At the time in question, permutations were rife that it was time for America to have a Madam President and Hilary Clinton fitted the bill to make this happen and in fact she was already being addressed as Madam president and just counting down to a few weeks for the change of mantle of leadership from President Obama.
Mrs. Clinton who was eminently qualified for the office did not get it, rather Trump bulldozed his way through, won the election and was sworn in as President of the USA in spite of the alleged Russian internet spy’s interference in the election processes. That did not generate uproar enough to warrant the incumbent President to lose confidence in the system.
Factors that worked for Trump in that election included the craving by many Americans to change the status quo, try a non- establishment person and to stem the growing pervasion in the American moral fabrics, especially under President Obama. The most distasteful aspect of the challenge in the assertion of many was the fact that President Obama was vigorously encouraging and promoting same-sex marriage as part of the agenda of democratic universalism.
Obama made it a human rights issue in America’s diplomatic relationship with other nations. Obama snubbed the growing calls to halt the abominable culture of same-sex marriage by many Christian leaders and other world opinion leaders. Instead he championed the cause of same-sex marriage as if it would give America any advantage in any sense.
The situation before the emergence of Trump was like letting hell loose on America and most Western nations were copying the same-sex marriage practice. The wild fire was spreading across most developing nations because of Obama’s deployment of the instrumentality of coercive diplomacy in American relationship with other nations and his claim to be promoting democratic universalism.
In Nigeria President Obama insisted that President Goodluck Jonathan must not get reelected for failure to reject the legislation by the National Assembly that made same sex marriage unlawful. America is a world power no doubt and has a controlling influence on many nations. Whatever affects America goes round immediately.
That is why there is urgent need for caution on the culture of same-sex marriage. It must not be seen as human right issue. And should that happen then taking of one’s life must also be accepted as human rights issue.
It was this political loophole that played out under Obama that Trump exploited in his campaigns and it worked in his favour. Well, one thing is to grab power and another is to know what to do with the power. Soon after his swearing in as American president, Trump became self conceited, arrogant and even unnecessarily boisterous.
He was engaging everybody and every nation in a verbal war and had no consideration for decency in communication. While in the office Trump pretended to be addressing the socio-cultural somersault in America at the same time polarising America.
President Trump obviously did not have a good knowledge of history, especially regarding the benefits of building bridges and the fact that the world has moved to the point of collapsing every existing wall of dichotomy among peoples and nations. Besides, with the advent of technology the world has practically become a global village, so why build walls of discrimination?
Trump made himself inaccessible to those who could have advised him better on certain national and international policies. His immigration policy robbed him of the votes that should have come from African-Americans, among others.
That was a terrible political strategy that should never be contemplated by any leader. In politics, when you shut some people out in some areas, they revenge with their votes in an election. It is pertinent to note here that whatever would have been President Trump’s legacies as president are certainly going to be eroded, especially because of the Capitol protest and his treatment of his immediate predecessor in office.
As we welcome Joe Biden now as President of America, it’s necessary for us to begin to postulate on what to expect from his government. Which way is he going to go? As winner of the America 2020 presidential election and having been sworn in as president, is he going to go the way of Obama or that of Trump or would he strike a balance to save America and indeed the world the embarrassment of same-sex marriage?
Biden ostensibly harvested every opportunity Mr. Trump lost through recklessness and that is what happens in life. Though Biden is 78 years old but he has the benefits of wealth of experience from long time service in government and Madam Harirs will bridge the gap.
The fears in some quarters in America now and indeed other nations is the possible resuscitation of the same-sex marriage culture and its promotion as acceptable human rights issue as was the case under President Obama. The practice of same-sex marriage is an aberration and indeed abomination before God and man and, therefore,cannot be acceptable as a human rights issue.
To say the contrary is like approving of one taking his or her life in the name of human right. Obama committed the blunder during his tenure as president. No person or nation should promote or export the culture of same-sex marriage. We should all think about the long time implications of the culture even with the so-called sexual and sociological reorientation going on in America and other climes. It is indeed absurd.
My counsel to the Christian community around the world is that we must admit that this resurgent phenomenon of same sex marriage is as a result of the failure of the Church in carrying out our divine tasks on earth. The twofold mission of the Church on earth, are: (1) proclaiming the gospel of Jesus to the whole world and getting sinners saved.
(2) Teaching the world including governments how to live and behave. We failed in these divine assignments when we shifted our focus to materialism and the establishment of individual kingdoms and empires on earth including merchandising of the gospel and refusing to be involved in politics. We should stop complaining about the appointment of a gay or lesbian into a cabinet office in any government.
Anybody who can do the job should be allowed to do it regardless of the sexual orientation. We do not have to compromise our faith but we must tolerate to end the unnecessary conflicts.
Though God said in His word that same sex marriage is an abomination yet He would not force any person not to engage in it. Homosexuality and lesbianism have been an age long practice by people who oppose God’s word and only God knows when it started. The best we can ask for is that no government should make legislation that make the practice of same sex marriage a human right and it must not be promoted by governments as part of agenda for democratic universalism.
Every government must be fair to those who practice homosexuality or lesbianism and also to those of us that hate the culture because of our faith in the righteous God and our obedience to His word. To do the contrary will amount to insulting our sensibilities. Though Nigeria today has a law that forbids same sex marriage yet many people practice it in the comfort of their homes without molestation. It is actually their rights but not with state approval. Just like anyone can go into his room and decides to commit suicide.
Dr. Iwuanyanwu, a political strategist and founder, Leadership Watch, wrote via ceo.leadershipwatch@gmail.com