Wednesday, March 10, 2004
New Voters Project
Anyone interested in getting youth to vote should take a look at this new org.
http://www.newvotersproject.org/
From the boys and girls at PIRG.
Inspiring.
Though I myself vote and am proud to do so, I am from a religious tradition that refrains from voting. But we have this old essay that I like - expressing that you must have a good reason for forfeiting such a responsibility.
To the Citizenry, No. 3
On the Public Role of the Silent Citizen
Within this forum we have put forth a thesis of Responsible Citizenship. In a Democratic Republic, however, as fundamental the Right to choose our representatives is, of equal and foundational importance is the Right not to choose. The Expressed Right to participate in the electoral process is balanced against the Unexpressed Right, due personal or religious convictions to refrain from participation.
Any governmental attempt to police either of these is to be correctly held in high suspicion. Close scrutiny should be applied both toward understanding the motives of those who would enforce the vote and those who fear it’s enforcement. Moreover, caution is sought not only regarding the intent of such a law, but the ease of which the possibly noble intentions of the law, by poor crafting or lack of foresight, are corruptible toward specific ends not beneficial to the Public as a whole. Any legislative action calling for specific performance of suffrage or the registration of the population toward such is, for better or worse, a harbinger of other, more invasive enforced ‘benefits’ on the citizenry.
The Silent Citizen is under no obligation to be heard and stands protected by the existing rule of law in this nation. This Citizen Unheard remains, however, a citizen, and owes her state one specific performance, one undeniable duty – one true responsibility that should never be left aside: To be Sure of their Reason for Silence.
It must never be whim to forego this duty. It must not be an accident of our place in life to place our responsibility upon the shoulders of others. It must not be a lightly held conviction of our Faith to assign our choice to Providence. The internal dedicated search for the Reason for Silence should never discover simple happenstance. It should never come to rest upon only unfortunate tardiness. The honest searcher cannot be forced beyond what he finds, and if this search yields only lassitude as a defense, the system is not to blame as much as its lapsed adherent.
We owe our Fellow Citizens of these United States not so much specific performance as specific remembrance. A remembrance that we are a Union – and a Union with no dispensable membership. We are, when we are at are best, an Active Federation of Goals and Aspirations toward a Unified End. While this Union requires participation of its members, there are many forms this participation can know.
The Silent Citizen should continually seek out methods of active citizenship and while stepping forward to define a role, never cease in striving to accommodate their deeply held beliefs. The test for truth of conviction is not complex. When you are questioned your reasons for abstaining, your answer is easily articulated or it is not – your conscience is clear or it is not. Our real responsibility to governance is simply an honest answer to this internal question.
We all share ownership of that constituency that is our selves, our people, our nation of searchers. Together we are searching for a better life, a better liberty, for our children. The question, ‘Where do I wish to go?’ is always better asked, ‘Where do we wish to go?’ For this is, in fact, the deeper, more honest question – we realize our neighbor’s best interest is our own – thus demanding a similarly deep, honest answer.
It has been said that silence means consent, and it may. But the Silent Citizen need not be deaf and blind as well. She is not exempt from the question, and must search with equal or exceeding diligence for her contribution to the collective answer.
The Citizenist
Comments: ozymandias_1@hotmail.com
Anyone interested in getting youth to vote should take a look at this new org.
http://www.newvotersproject.org/
From the boys and girls at PIRG.
Inspiring.
Though I myself vote and am proud to do so, I am from a religious tradition that refrains from voting. But we have this old essay that I like - expressing that you must have a good reason for forfeiting such a responsibility.
To the Citizenry, No. 3
On the Public Role of the Silent Citizen
Within this forum we have put forth a thesis of Responsible Citizenship. In a Democratic Republic, however, as fundamental the Right to choose our representatives is, of equal and foundational importance is the Right not to choose. The Expressed Right to participate in the electoral process is balanced against the Unexpressed Right, due personal or religious convictions to refrain from participation.
Any governmental attempt to police either of these is to be correctly held in high suspicion. Close scrutiny should be applied both toward understanding the motives of those who would enforce the vote and those who fear it’s enforcement. Moreover, caution is sought not only regarding the intent of such a law, but the ease of which the possibly noble intentions of the law, by poor crafting or lack of foresight, are corruptible toward specific ends not beneficial to the Public as a whole. Any legislative action calling for specific performance of suffrage or the registration of the population toward such is, for better or worse, a harbinger of other, more invasive enforced ‘benefits’ on the citizenry.
The Silent Citizen is under no obligation to be heard and stands protected by the existing rule of law in this nation. This Citizen Unheard remains, however, a citizen, and owes her state one specific performance, one undeniable duty – one true responsibility that should never be left aside: To be Sure of their Reason for Silence.
It must never be whim to forego this duty. It must not be an accident of our place in life to place our responsibility upon the shoulders of others. It must not be a lightly held conviction of our Faith to assign our choice to Providence. The internal dedicated search for the Reason for Silence should never discover simple happenstance. It should never come to rest upon only unfortunate tardiness. The honest searcher cannot be forced beyond what he finds, and if this search yields only lassitude as a defense, the system is not to blame as much as its lapsed adherent.
We owe our Fellow Citizens of these United States not so much specific performance as specific remembrance. A remembrance that we are a Union – and a Union with no dispensable membership. We are, when we are at are best, an Active Federation of Goals and Aspirations toward a Unified End. While this Union requires participation of its members, there are many forms this participation can know.
The Silent Citizen should continually seek out methods of active citizenship and while stepping forward to define a role, never cease in striving to accommodate their deeply held beliefs. The test for truth of conviction is not complex. When you are questioned your reasons for abstaining, your answer is easily articulated or it is not – your conscience is clear or it is not. Our real responsibility to governance is simply an honest answer to this internal question.
We all share ownership of that constituency that is our selves, our people, our nation of searchers. Together we are searching for a better life, a better liberty, for our children. The question, ‘Where do I wish to go?’ is always better asked, ‘Where do we wish to go?’ For this is, in fact, the deeper, more honest question – we realize our neighbor’s best interest is our own – thus demanding a similarly deep, honest answer.
It has been said that silence means consent, and it may. But the Silent Citizen need not be deaf and blind as well. She is not exempt from the question, and must search with equal or exceeding diligence for her contribution to the collective answer.
The Citizenist
Comments: ozymandias_1@hotmail.com
