Well said, but…. the Political Reality is still missing, Julio. You did not discuss the largest reality in which our power is diminished — by default.
Our system puts limitations on us; there is a kind of yoke on us. Because we do not have a system of full representation, we are forced to either do things ourselves, or hope and pray that the red and blue leaders will take care of all our needs well.
Because of our system, we are forced to come to the same outcomes that make us unhappy. Power and emancipation are the vital aspects in your story. Let’s get that straightened out. We should be We the People and that is not how our voting system works; it is elitist in nature.
The US Constitution actually demands our having proportional voting (at the local level), today.
If we should not fall back to business as usual, as you and I desire, then taking our power in our own hands and forge a democracy based on our wonderful American ideals should be our goal. It can be our velvet revolution.
