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“We want the will of the people, not the votes of the people.” This quote is from G.K. Chesterton, who is my favorite writer in the English language. This quote is pithy, profound, and to the point. Please take some time upon reading and reflect on these words and compare them to what we see in our country today.
Our representatives and the voting in most elections do not reflect the will of the people. Sadly, our representatives (senators and members of the house) do not really consider the will of the people. The only time that situation arises is after the fact when our representatives have sinned egregiously, as they so often do. They never ask for forgiveness or admit to their mistakes. That is when that wonderful political excuse rises to the fore: “Mistakes were made.” Whatever the mistakes were and who made them are never revealed.
America was founded as a constitutional republic. A constitutional republic during the founding of America meant that We, the People, would elect representatives directly or indirectly. The representatives would then go to Congress and represent We the People and legislate as necessary for the new republic. These representatives were informed and well-respected citizens who were close to their constituencies and understood the will of the people. They brought judgment, maturity, and common sense to their political deliberations.
Over time, America has evolved into a full-fledged democracy where the votes of the people do not reflect the will of the people at all. Votes are garnered in so many ways today that the Founding Fathers would not be able to comprehend or understand in their day how the process works currently.
Voting today would reflect the will of the people if we had an informed electorate who understood the issues. I do not believe that that is the case. Too many citizens do not vote on facts or use common sense. Instead, they vote based on emotions or for those individuals who promise them the most in the way of benefits or goodies.
We have to change that by becoming an informed and educated citizenry. I am trying to do my part with my blog and my other writings.
The call-to-action is two-fold for every adult citizen. The first action is to understand the key challenges that confront our nation today. The second action is to mentor younger citizens so that they understand as well. That is what responsible citizenship is all about.