So, it's time to elect some new representatives. And while the Presidential race is always heavily publicized, I hope everyone reading this knows that the president doesn't "make" laws. It's the legislators, the Congressmen who do the actual democratic dirty work. We live in a republic, a representative democracy, not a "true" democracy. If we did... all we would ever do is vote! So we elect representatives to, well, represent us, in the state and federal governments. This is not something to be taken lightly! I try to think of voting not as a right, but rather as a duty. This is a government for the people, by the people. So while Senator John Doe might be casting "his" vote, he's really casting YOUR vote because you voted for him to do just that. This is precisely why as Americans, we must carefully choose our elected officials. Those who vote irresponsibly are just as bad, if not worse, than those who refuse to vote (and then complain about the results).
There is no excuse for low voter turnouts. You can always fill out an absentee ballot. And of all of the fiery, idealistic young Americans on this forum... if you're old enough, you'd better cast your ballot. This is your chance to make a difference. Against the war in Iraq? Vote for someone who will pull the troops out. Pro-abortion? Pro-life? Vote for someone like-minded. Start gathering fellow voters who share the same political ideas and make your voices heard. Make sure that in November, you will be voting for someone who will truly represent YOU.
The bottom line is this: democracy is work. Representative democracy is slightly less work, but work nonetheless. And you're really working for your self in this respect. Sadly, it still seems like some people just don't want to put in the work a representative democracy requires. Hitler and Stalin loved those kinds of people (loved them to death). So.... what are YOU going to do!?
Cheers--- stg
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thanks for the essay
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