Civic Responsibility

“Why should I be involved?  Why should I vote?  Why should I even care?  I’m not a ‘political’ person.”

I have heard this statement over and over and over again.  This may sound corny, but as Uncle Ben said: “With great power comes great responsibility.”  The citizens of America hold great power and we lend it to our elected representatives.  Our representatives are called representatives for a reason.  They represent us: the American People.  The only way we can be properly represented in our Republic is to communicate our feelings to them through phone calls, letters, emails, visits to town hall meetings, and the like.  It is our civic responsibility to participate in the political process.  It may seem dull, mundane, and boring, but it is vital to maintaining our freedom.  Ever heard of the phrase “freedom isn’t free”?  It is used in the context of the military and we are truly grateful of their sacrifice, but I believe that civic responsibility factors into this phrase as well.  It takes time to gather information about what is happening in the federal, state, and local governments, but I believe it is vital to be informed beyond the 30 second soundbites heard on the evening news.

Our culture has changed.  The amount of information available about different issues has increased dramatically with the advent of the Internet, but unfortunately, our attention span as atrophied greatly.  We no longer desire to read lengthy books, research information, and other enlightening, yet “time-consuming”, activities.  Now we expect everything to be packaged in flashy graphics and constant action.  This is only frosting.  Frosting is good; frosting is tasty, but it is unhealthy to live on frosting alone.  Our mind craves “meat and potatoes”-type of reading, but we do not feed and expand our mind with substantive information that requires us to think.

This is what politicians look for.  They prey upon our lack of knowledge in economics, history, and critical thinking.  It is unfortunate that we care what is happening on the latest, greatest show on TV rather than the policies the 2 presumptive nominees are proposing.  TV is a good escape, but it is not reality; it will not affect your life.  What happens on the federal, state, and local-levels of government will affect your life tremendously.  Tax increases on the “evil” rich and “evil” corporations will affect you more than you may realize.  We currently have “representatives” who are proposing taking property that many people have earned by using their God-given talents and amassed wealth.  We proclaim “life, liberty, and property”, but yet we frown upon those who are talented and have the knack to become wealthy.  Corporations, believe it or not, are not really individuals.  They may be seen as a single entity in the eyes of the law, but they are really vessels to gain wealth for their stakeholders.  If we raise taxes on corporations, they will pass that cost on to the consumer in the form of increased prices.  Not only will you see an increase in prices, but how will that company be able to create new jobs if they’re paying money to the government?  That money could be used to create another entry-level position giving a recent graduate a starting point for a career in the company.

Do you see my point?  If you listen to the 30 second soundbite of the legislator who advocates the increase in taxes, you may think to yourself “Hmm….taking from the rich to give to the poor.  That sounds like a great idea!”, but if you think critically about the ramifications of such a policy, you can see that there might be a greater cost than the perceived benefit.  One last thing about taxes, isn’t it better to teach a man to fish (creating an entry-level position in a company to build a career upon) than to give a fish to him (taking money from the companies to expand welfare and other social spending)?

We must hold our representatives accountable.  The only way we can do that is by being active in the “political” process.  Write your county commissioner(s), your school board members, your state legislators, your governor, your US Congressman, your US Senators, and even the President!  Know where they stand on issues that are important to you.  Express your feelings about what you want to see done to them.  Granted, they are busy and you may receive a form letter back from them thanking you for sending your concerns to them, but their staff will definitely inform them about your thoughts.  If there is a town hall meeting with a state legislator or other representative, go down, listen, and try to speak with them.  They will certainly appreciate your thoughts and may even tell you what is going on in their respective office.

Finally, read up on the US Constitution and our Founding Fathers.  Most Americans probably don’t realize that the federal government is way too large and is in violation of the Constitution (see the 10th Amendment).  It is vital to our liberty for all Americans to understand the Constitution, the limits placed on the federal government, and understand why the Founding Fathers made it that way.  An interesting anecdote comes to mind when speaking about our Constitution.  After the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia adjourned, a lady asked Benjamin Franklin, “well Doctor, what have we got–a republic or a monarchy?” Franklin replied, “a republic, if you can keep it.”  The only way to keep our Republic is to be an informed citizen.  I’ll be honest, I don’t believe voting is a right (find the right to vote explicitly stipulated in the Constitution).  It is a privilege, an honor, and a duty.  It is something that should be taken very seriously and not light-heartedly.  Take the time to research the issues and where candidates stand on those issues.  DVR is becoming even cheaper, you can record your favorite shows and watch them later after you conclude your research.  After you finish your research, be sure to critically think about what the candidate says about those issues.  Has he wavered on those issues?  Is he taking this stance on a specific issue because it’s politically popular at that time and will get him elected?

One final quote I would like to leave with you.  It comes from William F. Buckley, Jr.: “The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry.”  The best way we can preserve our personal liberty is to communicate with our representatives through letters or phone calls and at the ballot box.

The responsibility is yours.

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Tags: activism, civil responsibility, enlightenment

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