Democracy Is Ours To Preserve

I went down to my local polling place to vote, and I found myself all alone. Well, not exactly alone. There were the poll workers, a police officer, and a few political volunteers holding signs outside. At first I found it somewhat spooky, then I began to wonder……“how many other of my fellow citizens had bothered to vote?” In a city of 30,000, less than 20% of my neighbors had bothered to cast a ballot. How reassuring.

Granted this was not a Presidential year, or even a Gubernatorial election. No one was running for Federal or State office, nor was there any State referendum on the ballot. This election was only about electing my City Council, School Board, and Police Commission. These are the very same people that will decide the vision for my city. I was only casting a vote for the representatives that control my schools, my police and fire departments, and are task with the safeguarding my community standards. How important is that stuff anyway (note the tone of sarcasm)?

It is not like we do much better during our presidential elections. Mind you, in the same week when thousands were protesting in support of Democracy in Pakistan, many Americans “just didn’t have the time” to vote. What must the rest of the world, many without the simple right to freely elect their representatives, think of us?

Like a playground teeter-totter, our political process moves us up and down with each bounce of an election. Bouncing up and down on that teeter-tooter is fun at first, and then it gets a little boring. This boredom is usually relieved when one of the bouncers decides to jump off, typically when the other bouncer is up in the air. One bouncer is laughing while the other is rubbing their butt from the fall. Many Americans have jumped off the teeter-totter known as Democracy, while many more are rubbing their butts.

We all have an issue we are passionate about, but all too often we surrender our power to others. Don’t wait until the fringe of each party has selected the candidates before you decide to get involve. It should not matter that we are casting a ballot for President, Governor, Mayor or Dog Catcher. In 2004 there were over 215, 000,000 eligible voters (Remember, America’s population is around 300,000,000). 56% of the eligible voter’s cast a ballot (122,000,000). Of those 122,000,000, George Bush won roughly around 56 % of vote (62, 000,000). 16 (that’s right…sixteen!) other candidates received another 1.5 million votes. So in the end 20% of Americans decide for the rest. Makes you wonder what our country would look like if all 215,000.000 eligible voters showed up on Election Day. Imagine still if 215,000,000 participated in the Primary process.

What excuse do you use not to vote:

1. I don’t like either candidate (out of sixteen candidates, you didn’t believe in at least ONE!)
2. I am disgusted with both parties (once again, what about the other sixteen candidates).
3. I am too busy (more busy than a solider in Iraq?). Yet, somehow more people found time to vote for the next American Idol than cast a ballot in the 2006 elections.
4. I don’t know where the candidates stand (but you can tell me who did what on Desperate Housewives, how your fantasy football team is doing, or which spoiled teen drama queen is in trouble).
   

American’s hold the power for change, yet too many Americans have chosen to walk away from the very act that millions have sacrificed to preserve. The famous quote “the pen is mightier than the sword” could easily be change to “the vote is mightier than gun.” Over 80% of the citizens of Iraq showed up and voted. Do the Iraq’s know something we have forgotten? To quote Vice-President Cheney - ""It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you."

Apathy and complaisance have made us a lazy country; to lazy to participate in the survival of our own Republic. We are a government “of the people, and for the people.” Your representatives work for YOU! I know it is kind of cliché, but you pay their salary, so why wouldn’t you have the right to demand a satisfactory level of service.

Like that schoolyard teeter-totter, participating in the experiment we call the Republic of the United States is not always exciting. But if you jump off, the only one left to decide is the one with the sore butt. The only one left is the voter who:

1. Cast their ballot in anger, not in reason.
2. Pulls the lever based on the propaganda that has been spoon-fed to them, instead of with the respect of those who have sacrificed to make this country great.
3. Votes the straight party ticket, when they should be voting on the individual merits of each candidate.
4. Thinks of themselves instead of America.
5. Believes that America is a pure democracy where the majority rules, instead of a Republic governed by the rule of just laws.

America is “the people’s child.” Conceived in liberty and born of sacrifice. We, you and I, are now the parents of the United States of America. And like a parent, it is our obligation to look after our child so that it can continue to grow and thrive. When American’s opt not to vote, they freely relinquish their power to others. It is important to remember that in order to make democracy work you must be an active participant, not simply an observer. And honestly, in the end, those who choose not to vote have no right to complain.

Where have all the voters gone?