michael@ucbiris.berkeley.edu (Tom Slone [(415)486-5954]) (03/25/86)
Where has the democracy in this republic, in which I was born, gone to? "Congress shall make no law... prohibiting the free exercise... to petition the Government for a redress of grievances," so states the Bill of Rights. Petitioning was given to the citizens of the United States as one of only three primary means of influencing the government, the other two being elections and demonstrations (peaceable assembly). Because I believe in democracy, I have actively and directly participated in all three of these means by registering voters at public events, by gathering petitions, and by participating in peaceful public demonstrations. I have found apathy and hostility to be widespread in reaction to these simple democratic exercises. Once while wearing a toothful smile, I asked a man if he cared to register to vote. For this, I was threatened with a punch in the mouth. While this was extreme behavior, it was not to be unexpected from the vast sea of public mumblings of "I don't vote" and "What good is it going to do." Perhaps people in this country do not know or can not remember that others have died for voter rights in this country in our recent history. At peaceful rallies, both large and small, I have had my Americanness questioned, I have been called a communist, and I have been taunted. I received this abuse for believing in the Constitution and in the Bill of Rights. I received this abuse for wanting to exercise democracy, rather than let it wither like a crushed flower. I received this abuse even though I have never sought the overthrow of the United States. Demonstrations in the United States are considered large when there are tens of thousands of people present, yet in Western Europe, demonstrations commonly have hundreds of thousands of people. This can only be explained by the apathy of the common person in the United States. When I gather signatures for petitions, perhaps a quarter of the people I contact even want to know what the petition is for. When these other three-quarters of the people see my petition and I ask them to sign, but without telling them what it is, they say "No," period. Perhaps though, this 75% of the electorate are too busy to spare a half-minute to sign their name on a weekend afternoon. But it would seem then that two hours of TV sports watching or prime-time soap opera watching is more important than the exercise of democracy. Worse yet, it would seem that two minutes of Ring-Around-the-Collar commercials are closer to the pulse of this nation than a half-minute of democracy. When democracy atrophies, can oligarchy be far away? ..arizona!___\ michael@ucbiris.berkeley.edu ..decwrl!_____!ucbvax!ucbiris!michael ..ihnp4!_____/ ..sun!______/ michael%ucbiris@berkeley.arpa
desj@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (David desJardins) (03/25/86)
In article <468@ucbjade.BERKELEY.EDU> michael@ucbiris.BERKELEY.EDU (Tom Slone [(415)486-5954]) writes: >Where has the democracy in this republic, in which I was born, gone >to? "Congress shall make no law... prohibiting the free exercise... to >petition the Government for a redress of grievances," so states the >Bill of Rights. And it hasn't! Wonder of wonders! >I have found apathy and hostility to be widespread in reaction to >these simple democratic exercises.... >At peaceful rallies, both large and small, I have had my Americanness >questioned, I have been called a communist, and I have been taunted. I >received this abuse for believing in the Constitution and in the Bill >of Rights. I received this abuse for wanting to exercise democracy, >rather than let it wither like a crushed flower. I received this abuse >even though I have never sought the overthrow of the United States. So you think you are "exercising democracy"? You don't even seem to know what it means. You are in favor of freedom, as long as it is the freedom to go along with *your* ideas and *your* petitions. What about the freedom to ignore you? The freedom to taunt you? The freedom to be hostile to you? Are these not also guaranteed by the Constitution? Are these not also the "exercise of democracy" of which you are so proud?? -- David desJardins