A Lesson in Representative Democracy.

This seems appropriate at the moment.  Here we go folks.

So far on this diary, you’ve heard me say a whole bunch of things.  Let me summarize just a few of the key ones for this entry.

1.  I believe in the Constitution of this country, as it is written, including the Bill of Rights.

2.  I believe in the equity of all people under the law, regardless of any of their opinions, beliefs, etc.

3.  I believe all people have the responsibility to remain apprised of issues and vote their conscience in elections, so as to insure their views receive the appropriate amount of attention from elected officials.

4.  I believe elected officials are essentially self-involved worms interested only in keeping their job and making the decisions that will get them re-elected.

Let me tell you why this creates issues for me where I am, and the way I think.  I am part of a community of people who have a very firm ideological structure.  This ideological structure is interpreted by some as a over-arching belief structure which they must represent in their everyday lives in every way possible, including their voting preferences.  Society is comprised of a group of people (of undetermined size) who disagree with the ideologies of the stereotypical group I belong to.  Under the Constitution, that is their right.  I happen to separate my religious existence from my political existence, because I don’t see the need for them to be mutually exclusive.  Not everyone of my persuasion does the same.  I can’t make them if I still want to respect the document I’m purporting to support.  I will try to influence them where I can where they differ from what I think our ideology purports, but I can’t and won’t do more than tell them I disagree, why I disagree, and where they can look to see where they are incorrect.  I can’t make them change. 

I can’t speak for the group I’m not a part of:  I don’t know enough to speak for their ideologies with any reasonable expectation of being right.

But let me tell you what I know.  This is not a Christian nation.  But there is a large Christian population in this country, and they vote.  They say it with votes.  They’ve been this way for a long time, and they will continue to be this way.  I know that less than 40% of the country votes, even in national elections.  If the portion of that 40% who votes is more than 50% Christian, there is no reasonable expectation, logically, of seeing that election affect any real shift in the countries politics.  My next question is going to get me in trouble, but I feel compelled to ask:  Should it change if people don’t care enough to get off their dead backsides and vote?

The democratic principle here is simple:  if you want something to change, get out and vote.  If you’re not going to vote, shut your yap until you care enough to get up and go to the polls.  Quite frankly, this gay marriage vote shouldn’t be close.  The Constitution is clear, the rights should be the same.  The 5th amendment, the 14th amendment, etc, are clear on the point. But you can’t make someone who’s mind is made up change by arguing with them.  It doesn’t work.  The evidence alone should prove this.  So, folks.   This is clear.  You don’t like the policy–go vote.  See how simple that is?  I’ll be voting too, for the gay community to get equal rights.  Because the Constitution we live under guarantees those rights.