We The People

I just finished reading In the Hands of the People: Thomas Jefferson on Equality, Faith, Freedom, Compromise, and the Art of Citizenship for the second time.  Our small book club had decided to discuss it at our last meeting.  While most of you probably do not need to hear the following, I am compelled to speak out to those who say, “It’s politics and I don’t want to get involved.” Or “I don’t want to have my life interrupted by all that bad news, so don’t talk about it.”  Our Constitution starts with the familiar words, “We the People.”  Our founding fathers’ vision was revolutionary.  The government would be in the hands of the people, not kings or other individuals.  They knew they were taking a chance.  People were accustomed to having government make decisions for them, not having the option to make their own choices. 

These same founding fathers, while holding doubts about the long-term viability of their creation, believed that a well-educated and informed people would make good choices in this republican system of representative democracy.  Public education was supported by Washington, Jefferson, Adams and many others.  Educated people who had access to information, whether biased or not, could and would make good decisions.  With these dreams in mind, subsequent generations of Americans improved education and created a Fourth estate to provide good information even when it showed obvious bias.  We the People were controlling our own destiny.

However, in recent years, complacency has become common.  Many of the People have failed to keep fully informed, basing their judgment on biased or limited information.  Our education system has reduced the amount of teaching in civics, history, and social sciences.  There have been successful efforts to restrict information that does not conform to standards established by power groups.  Too many citizens have failed to realize that the government that they are criticizing is a criticism of self.  If you are not informed and engaged, if you fail to take part in your government, you have no justification for complaining.

Get informed.  Know your sources of information.  Research “hot topic” issues.  Engage in civil discussions with your friends and acquaintances.  Take time to know what your elected representatives believe.  Take part in local, state, and federal elections.  Don’t tell me “I don’t want to hear about it!”