The Great Debate…

 

Soon the American people will once again get the opportunity to flex their collective muscle as they run in droves to their polling places next November for the Presidential Election. Stop right there, lets be honest, the biggest reason we don’t generally like the outcome of our elections is because too few people vote in the first place. A minority of the electorate has become, to quote President Bush, “ the decider”. So let me rephrase that; Soon the American people will once again waste the opportunity to flex their collective muscles as more than a majority sit on their lazy hind quarters and neglect voting all together. What will be accomplished by their lack of enthusiasm? This is a valid question.

 

What will be accomplished is likely more of the same. So long as we continue to have elections in which one party or candidate wins by a slight majority over the other we will continue to have accusations of voter fraud, ballot tampering and elections that are decided by judicial caveat instead of a solid majority of voters. So in reality who is to blame if you are unhappy with our current administration, your local government or city government? Well, as a matter of reducing possible conspirators, look first in the mirror. Did you take the time to vote in the last election? Are you planning to vote in the next election? Here’s a good question for you; when is the next election in which you can vote? Here in Arizona it is on September 11th, 2007.

 

So how do we fix a system that isn’t broke but simply not participated in by the vast majority of those who can and should be utilizing it? Herein lay the title of this article, The Great Debate. For those of us at the grass roots of either side, Conservative of Liberal, this is the real debate; Voter turnout.

 

There have been a great many ideas bantered about in the last decade. Everything from voter lotteries, to a national day off to vote, and from mandatory mail in ballot (ensuring a paper trail for recounts) to a voting weekend instead of a voting day, giving people three days to get down to the polls and cast their vote. While all of these are interesting in their own rite, there exists the question of why we have to entice people to participate in our unique system of governance in the first place. Often times when a country or culture has been liberated from an oppressive form of government to reclaim their God given rights as human beings there follows an overwhelming turn out in the first several elections. Could it be that we have been free too long? Is it simple complacency that causes our population to care more about the turn out of American Idol and less about whom is running their country?

 

While I can not lend any credence to the idea that any people has ever been free too long, I can recognize that a population raised in relative safety and security can grow less appreciative of that safety and security over time. It may be that Americans have grown so accustomed to having our freedom that we forget or rather neglect to use it when it matters most. Think of voting as the exercise bike of our nation politic. We all like to pass judgement on politicians, policy and other governmental procedures much as we like to complain that we are too fat, too tired or too stationary. Yet we rarely bother to get on the bike and work out for even 30 minutes per day, much as we neglect our duties as citizens to actually vote to change things in our nation when given the opportunity.

 

Then there are those of us who do vote, every time, without fail. We are the ones who have exercised our right, so too should we be the ones to complain the loudest. But complaining accomplishes nothing if we can not mobilize our respective sides to action. So how do we do it? Do we have to start teaching patriotism in classes throughout the U.S., is that really necessary?

 

I say in a way it is; not Patriotism Classes but Civics Classes. Years ago it was taught in every school throughout America, the idea of what is required of citizenship. Amazingly, since the development of the U.S. department of Education the teaching of civics has decreased. I am not saying the two are related, but it is a sad coincidence that this is the case. When immigrants come to this country they are required to learn among other things, the Pledge of Allegiance, study the U.S. Constitution and understand the way we elect our officials. Those citizens who we are asking to govern our country in our stead, not choosing those who will rule over us. We still require it of those wanting to become part of the melting pot that was America, (I am not talking about illegal aliens who come here to send money home with no intention of becoming Americans) but we no longer require it of our own young citizens… This is a disgrace.

This has been going on for decades, the slow decline of civics education in our schools. Sure, a few still try to hold on to civics education molding it with classes called Government (as I took) or certain history classes and that is fine so long as the day to day civics of the United States are taught. Too often there is revisionist history taught, by both sides, I lay no more fault at the left than the right, and little civic responsibility of the citizenry. We must take steps now to change this back to the days when every person who was expecting to be a part of this great land, whether naturalized or native born were taught both history and the civics of our country.

 

I’m sure a few of you will attempt to argue the point of this article and many will come at it from the wrong angle, that there is much we can learn from immigrants, and you would be right and that is not the point of this article. The point is that by their very presence in this country they have indicated their desire to leave their country of origin and join with Americans in a common bond of brotherhood. While they have cultural treasures and heritage related behaviors that we can surely learn from, they should first embrace ours. And in the process they should not for a moment expect that they will be able to change ours to suit their personal desires. This is America, and we do things in a way that is truly American. Get to know it first as you came to this country for a reason.

 

There is an election coming up soon, I know it is a mid-level election and many are not that interested in it since McCain, Kyl, the Governorship and the Presidency are not up for grabs but it is you civic responsibility to get involved.

 

But what would I know; I’m just an Average American.