Rescuing America’s Democracy From Its Collapsing Morality by Savannah Jordan

Rescuing America’s Democracy From Its Collapsing Morality by Savannah Jordan is a polemic about how America has gotten off the path of helping all of its citizens. In a culture that is seeped in celebrity worship, drug abuse, homelessness, and a litany of other problems that are not being adequately addressed, something is seriously amiss. Jordon covers everything from evolutionary biology to religion to specific policies that can help the country get back on track.

With a title like “Collapsing Morality,” one could be led to believe that the book focuses specifically on religion, but this is not the case.  Though she does make the point that religion can provide a moral basis for society, she doesn’t limit this to one religion in general, so this isn’t a book touting that mixing church and state is the answer. However, she does say the country used to have more of a moral direction as we were a more-religious country than we are today, though Native Americans and African Americans will likely disagree with the moral high-ground of early America.

Fortunately, the book is not overly partisan, as she comes down on both conservative and liberal principles. That said, a lot of our problems are a result of partisan animosity and grid-lock, so Jordon says a lot about what we must do, and less about how this is at all possible with the current left-right divide. Many of her prescriptions are understandable and refreshing, but not entirely feasible, which is core to the problem overall.

Additionally, the book is not without its controversy. For example, she talks about forced “temporary” sterilization for people who have been accused of child abuse or given birth to drug-addicted newborns. It is at the very least brave that Jordon addresses the topic, albeit fairly impossible for such a policy to ever come to pass, for a multitude of reasons. But that’s exactly where the book is strongest: her points are eye-opening and well-argued, even if you disagree with them.  Many of her ideas may make some uncomfortable, but they are ideas worth discussing, and Jordon lays out her thesis with clarity and intelligence.

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