Are you a true democrat? Take this test to find out

Election in Liberia

A democrat respects each person’s right to freedom – freedom of thought, freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of movement etc.
 That is why anyone who does not respect the rights of  others is not a democrat. Do you respect the rights of your husband? Do you respect the rights of your wife? Do you respect the rights of your children?   A father who does not respect the rights of his children, of course, is not a democrat.  Similarly, a teacher who does not respect the rights of his students is not a democrat. An employer who does not respect the rights of his employees is not a democrat. If they work so hard for him but he pays them very little and sometimes does not even pay them, he is not a democrat. The policeman, the soldier, even the prison warder who fails to respect the rights of fellow citizens cannot call himself a democrat.  That is why all those who violate the human rights of others, harass and squeeze money from others as bribe, are not democrats.

            Anyone who rigs an election, encourages or facilitates the rigging of an election is not a democrat. Anyone who intimidates or induces people through gifts, bribery and corruption to win their votes is not a democrat.  During an election a democrat tries to beat his opponent to emerge victorious through the ballot box.  Hence, he tries to convince the electorate to vote for him; but if he loses, he does not hate the one who has won.  Instead, he concedes defeat, and if possible, shakes hands with the one who has beaten him and allows life to continue.  You cannot call yourself a democrat if you bear a grudge against someone whose only fault is that he has beaten you in an election or because he is in a different political party from you.  If someone is in a different political party, you have the right to try to win him peacefully to your own party; but if you try and it does not work, that should not bring enmity between you.  Today, hatred resulting from political differences is insane, and nothing democratic about that.