Sincerely, We The People!

Dear Elected Official -

I am writing to you with a very personal plea, but one which I think, if answered with real honesty and courage, will serve the people of this nation, and yourself, very well. I have heard the uproar. Been to the rallies. Seen the news stories. Cast my vote. I, like so many others, have moved from ignorance, to apathy, to anger, to action. I believe that very path is what has brought me to who I am today - an engaged citizen, fully awake, and unwilling to slip again into the dangerous stupor of believing that being taken care of is more important than being vigilant. I know my role in this process - understand what, "We, The People" is all about. Because of my new-found realization of  my responsibilities in this Republic, I'd like to better help you understand yours.

You are a leader, but not because of who you are, or what you do, or any special skill which you might possess. You lead because people have chosen to put you at the front line of the battle to fight for a government that does nothing more or less than serve the basic needs of this great nation. It doesn't do us any good if you succumb and are unable to fight. It does not do us any good if, paralyzed by fear or the enormity of your task, you roll over and relinquish your duty. It does not do us any good if you jump trenches and work for the enemy. The only way that you are benefiting the people who sent you is if you stand alert - day in, and day out - ready to fight on their behalf. Any other action you may choose to take is cause for a dishonorable discharge, and we will not hesitate to call you back home.

Please let me be clear - the metaphor of battle is not meant to justify demonizing an opposing party or allowing passion to ignite to violence. You are not there to fight with arms, or even words - for a witty fool is still a fool, nonetheless. Instead, the tools you will use in your fight are noble ideas, exemplary character, and practical solutions. The enemy is not, and never has been, a political opponent or colleague from the other side of the aisle. The tireless enemies that you must fight each and every day are the very same ignorance, apathy, and anger that all the rest of us struggle against as well. I'll say it again - you are not a leader because of special skills or because you are a special person, but because you have said you are willing and have been chosen by your peers to be a representative of our shared civic strife. You do not bear the burden alone, nor is your battle any harder than ours, only more public.

That's right - your election has brought you into the public eye. I admonish you to remember that every gleeful, triumphant thought you have about the place in the sun you have attained only robs you of the opportunity to be mindful that being seen also means being watched. Though you may feel liberated from old bonds and a million miles from your humble beginnings, we are paying attention, and require a level of uprightness from our leaders that is only surpassed by the level we require from ourselves. No, we do not expect you to attain perfection, though you should be racing toward it each and every moment, just as we are back home. It is not always in what place that you finish, but how you run the race that matters, and your job is to ensure that every photo flash and video segment catches you striving toward noble ends and righteous acts. If you pause to pose, you will surely stumble.

Be courageous, then, and thoughtful, on our behalf, and we will remain loyal and grateful for your service. Just as you would not want us to forget how much you give of yourself to represent us, do not forget that the resources with which you are entrusted have come from our sacrifice and toil. They do not belong to you. You did not earn them. You are not entitled to them. You may not spend them as you wish, but only as it serves this nation well. Be sure that you are more concerned with who has your heart and mind, than simply who has your ear, when making decisions. Remember that you have been chosen to speak and act on our behalf, so knowing when and how to be silent and full of grace is equally as important as knowing when and how to speak boldly and move decisively. I pray that you may have the wisdom to know the difference and the strength to act rightly in each moment.

And, finally, do not ever forget that we would much rather welcome back a weary and wounded hero than one who could not discharge his duties faithfully, or refused to come home at all. For, as disappointing as it may seem to lose a hard-fought political race, it is infinitely worse to lose your sense of self, your honor, or your soul. We do not desire that your service on our behalf be such a burden for you that you regret your decision to lead. Just be sure to act in such a way that your service on our behalf does not become such a burden for us that we regret choosing you, either.

Sincerely,
We The People

The Apathy Party

I am a very politically active person. (Wish I could say the same about my physical activity level...) I like to consider myself as informed as the average Jane on matters of national politics, and much more so in regard to issues in the state of Iowa. I vote. I contact my elected officials (sometimes much to their chagrin). I read the news, keep up on current events, and like to indulge in the occasional online poll. This brings me to my musing for the day - since when did Apathy become a political party?

I just finished clicking 'yes' on a rather controversial question. After taking an online poll like this, readers are generally rewarded with the chance to see the current results. On this issue, the 'yeses' accounted for 94% of answers. 'No's' were 5%, and another 1% answered 'No Opinion.' Really? No opinion whatsoever?

I mean, it isn't like this was a complicated question with answer options that were nuanced and only subtly different. It also wasn't as though participants were awakened out of a deep sleep, blinded by a bright flashlight right in the eyes, and forced to come up with an opinion as a matter of life or death. This was a voluntary poll. You had to 1.) see the poll 2.) think about the poll 3.) decide whether or not you wanted to participate in the poll 4.) click on the link to the poll 5.) click on your desired answer, and 6.) hit the submit button. Who does all of those things only to register their opinion as 'No opinion'? Apparently a full 1% of pollsters - that's who.

I would like to say that this was an anomaly, but it's not. It seems that lots and lots of  people these days are under-informed, under-active, and (here's the crux of the issue) proud of it. I helped with a political campaign for the first time this year by making cold calls to un-registered constituents. At first I balked at the idea. I mean, how much difference can it possibly make for me (a stranger with no credentials) to call people I don't know and tell them they should vote for somebody just because I said so? Apparently, quite a lot. It turns out, cold calls from genuine-sounding volunteers makes a big difference in helping undecided voters know who to choose at the ballot - as much or even more so than pre-recorded calls from political figures. Who are these people who don't know who they want, or why, or even what party they most closely align themselves with?

After having people promise to vote for my candidate just because I sounded nice (they actually said this to me) and even asking me to tell them who else they should vote for (and making me wait while they got a pen and paper to write my suggestions down) I am firmly convinced that the two party system is no longer our political reality. No more are there just Republicans and Democrats - or even Green Party, Libertarian, or Tea Party members. I'm guessing that an alarmingly-large portion of voters could rightly say they belong to the Apathy Party.

The good news, of course, is that even if they do frustrate pollsters by insisting on having no opinion, at least these folks won't spend hours and hours volunteering for a candidate you don't like or take your parking spot at rallies. Even better, all it takes is a pleasant voice and a few suggestions to get them to swing their vote to your favor. All in all, even though I'd never join it, I guess the Apathy Party isn't all bad. And, one thing's for sure - at least they're not                     s. 

[In the interest of remaining politically neutral and not offending anyone, the last word has been redacted. Maybe I'm more suited for the Apathy Party than I thought...]