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Brian: Brian Lehrer on WNYC and yes, it's our latest time capsule segment. Dear 2030, I hope the United States still has a democracy when you hear this. Something I learned from the 2020 election is this. Nancy in Eastern Connecticut. Hi Nancy.

Nancy: Hi, Brian. Nice to talk to you.

Brian: Same here. Go ahead.

Nancy: My letter would be. I didn't know we were a country of norms. I thought we were a country of laws that protected our democracy, not just norms,

Brian: Nancy, thank you very much. Adam, on the Upper West Side, something I learned from the 2020 election is this?

Adam: What a fragile thing our democracy is and in much the same vein how much we are a country of norms as much as if, if not more than laws. I feel a personal connection to this moment. A bunch of years back, I was a law clerk to a federal judge on the US Third Circuit court of appeals, the one right below the US Supreme Court. The same court in Pennsylvania that took up one of these Looney Tunes Giuliani appeals, that sought to toss out a million and a half votes.

At the time when we were law clerks, we never, never imagined that we would see the sort of cases like this. I remember going to oral arguments in Philadelphia and visiting Independence Hall and reading the bit that sits outside, where the constitutional convention convened. Where Ben Franklin walked out those doors and someone shouted at him exiting the constitutional convention. "What type of government do we have?" In his witty way, "Quipped a Republic, if you can keep it."

I remember as a law clerk at that time thinking, "Oh, that's quaint, that's cute," we'll never face anything like that. Certainly federal judges and the Third Circuit will never be turn to defend an idea like that. It makes me immensely proud in this day to be able to see that my former court would get a chance to speak to the importance of democracy. Even to say things like voters, not lawyers choose the president and ballots, not briefs decide elections. We as law clerks first draft of lines like that. I'll just say that, I think Ben Franklin would be proud in moment because he would say we do have a Republic and we have kept it.

Brian: All right. Letter to 2030 from former law clerk, Adam, thank you so much. Debra in the City, you're on WNYC, dear 2030, something I learned from the 2020 election is this?

Debra: It's how easy it is to take everyday Americans, and with a little bit of fear-mongering turn them into fascists.

Brian: Thank you very much, to the point. Jason in Newark, you're on WNYC. Hi Jason, dear 2030, something I learned from the 2020 election is this?

Jason: Something I learned is that it is so important to have a full and free ability to speak your mind, whether you're coming from the left or the right. When the extreme voices, try to shut you down and pressure you to conform, it is the death knell that is the first nail in the death of democracy, so please never let that happen.

Brian: Jason, thank you very much. Alexander in Elmhurst, dear 2030, something I learned from the 2020 election is this?

Alexander: Something that I want to remember is that the outcome was not inevitable. I feel like with a decade time play, it's going to feel like it was inevitable that it turned out this way. Of course, the US didn't slide into authoritarian fascism or what have you. Of course the courts upheld the law that's of course how it was always going to turn out, but that's not how it felt in the moment. I don't want that memory to fade, that we really did come that close and there's a phrase "There but for the grace of God, went we." It was a nail biter.

Brian: Alexander, thank you so much. From Alexander in Queens, we go to Alexandra, I think in Park Slope. Hi, Alexandra you're on WNYC, dear 2030, something I learned from the 2020 election is this?

Alexandra: Yes, hello, Brian. The very first of the 12 amendments that should be brought into the floor is first of all, elimination of the Electoral College. Among the other 12 amendments I can think of is to institute a second around, a second what do we call that?

Brian: Like rank-choice voting, a runoff election?

Alexandra: A runoff thank you. Institute runoff election so that this would bring about compromise instead of antagonism between parties. I remember, well, the Nader thing. In principle, Nader was right to run, but in practice he knew it was not the right structure and a whole bunch of amendments.

Brian: Yes, of course in that year, neither candidate quite got over 50% of the vote in this year. Joe Biden did get over 50% of the vote so runoff election wouldn't be necessary.

Alexandra: True, that's correct.

Brian: Thank you for that as a principle. 646-435-7280 our latest time capsule segment or you can tweet as our lines are filling up quickly, as soon as people finish up. You can tweet @BrianLehrer and complete the sentence dear 2030, something I learned from the 2020 election is. For example, Barbara on Twitter writes something I learned is how people in power can push the law in ways that ordinary Americans can't. Nick in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC, dear 2030, something I learned from the 2020 election is?

Nick: I learned that there is a surprisingly large minority of people all over the world that live in democratic places that prefer fascism. It's frightening.

Brian: Nick, thank you. Lou in Queens, you're on WNYC, something I learned from the 2020 election is?

Lou: That the most important branch of government the media let us down by treating Trump with kid gloves.

Brian: The media is not a branch of government, but I certainly get what you're saying about an institution of our democracy. Rena in Hoboken, you're on WNYC, dear 2030, something I learned from the 2020 election is?

Rena: Hi Brian, thanks for your beautiful show and all you've done for us all year.

Brian: Thank you.

Rena: I'd like to say that it's still amazing that there's still a sucker born every minute with regard to how--

Brian: There's a sucker born every minute. Thank you, Rena in Hoboken. How about Natalie in Manhattan. Hi Natalie, dear 2030 something I learned from the 2020 election is?

Natalie: What I really learned to my amazement, I'll make it plain, very simple. That there were so many Nazis living in America who call themselves American.

Brian: Thank you, Natalie. Felipe or Philippe and Westbury you're on WNYC, dear 2030 something I learned from the 2020 election is?

Philippe: Yes, good morning. I learned about democracy being a double-edged sword. It actually means that people know what they want and that's not always the case. I take a parallel with the Venezuelan government when Chavez came into power, everybody pretty much voted for him and he took over the media. He took over the military.

He took over every form of communication to convince people that he was the best thing for them. For his whole presidential time, people agreed with his government. I saw that in the United States, half the country voted for Trump and everybody believes he's the right leader and that is a form of democracy. It also makes you wonder how fragile democracy is and you may not agree with what democracy brings to you.

Brian: Thank you so much for that call, I really appreciate it. On Twitter dear 2030, something I learned from the 2020 election is this. I learned that there is no substitute for grassroots voter drives. Right listener Sheyone , disregard the polls, get out to vote. Another one on Twitter, something I learned about democracy is that it requires civic participation which is fragile and is not a shared value in our country. JR in Manhattan, you're on WNYC dear 2030, something I learned from 2020 election is?

JR: I learned that you don't watch the slow bit by bit erosion of democracy and one day democracy will be like that frog being boiled to death. Democracy can be boiled to death.

Brian: Thank you JR. Amy in Manhattan, dear 2030, something I learned from the 2020 election is?

Amy: Hello.

Brian: Hi Amy. Go ahead.

Amy: I can't if I'm on. Brian, hello?

Brian: Yes, you're on.

Amy: I learned that we need more publicity about the groups like look at Life After Hate that are helping people leave hate groups and know how to find their way in society afterwards. Also how scary it is to hear Brian Lehrer say if democracy survived?

Brian: Amy, thank you very much. We should end on that. Michelle in the Bronx, you're on WNYC, dear 2030, something I learned from the 2020 election is?

Michelle: This is Michelle in the Bronx.

Brian: Hi, Michelle.

Michelle: Hi, Brian. What I've learned from the 2020 election is we should never give up hope but that hope stands on the shoulders of courage.

Brian: Thank you very much. Hope stands on the shoulders of courage. Jessica in East Orange, dear 2030 something I learned from the 2020 election is?

Jessica: Oh, you're calling Jessica. I agree with JR, that we must be vigilant. We must not be casual. When McConnell refused to allow our President Obama to bring his choice to the Senate for a confirmation hearing. That's when we should have stood up, because we showed that we were weak and not involved.

Brian: Thank you very much, Jessica. We appreciate it a lot. Alex in Brooklyn is going to get the last one. Alex, we've got about 15 seconds for you. Dear 2030, something I learned from the 2020 election is?

Alex: Hi Brian. Thank you. I learned democracy is a competition and it's just as important how you lose as how you win and accepting a loss is critical for a healthy functioning democracy.

Brian: Thank you very much, Alex. Thanks to all of you who called that was a good one today. We're going to keep doing time capsule segments between now and the end of the year with different kinds of questions. We have a time capsule website. If you want more information or to contribute in different ways, you can go to let's see, Mary confirm this for me because I don't have it memorized yet as I should.

Is it wnyc.org/timecapsule? I'll give you this in a second but listeners, we're going to keep doing time capsule segments between now and the end of the year. Thank you all for calling up. I hope the United States still has a democracy when you hear this 2030. I learned from 2020 that maybe we can keep it.

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