COVID, POLITICS, CITIZENSHIP AND EVERYTHING ELSE - PICK A SIDE
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
It seems we are at an essential point in time, in history, when we should either be fighting for/with our government, or fighting against our government – but this is no time to idle in neutral.
A fundamental and foundational underpinning of democracy is the consent of the governed, which seems absent these days – we are feeling so much tension between governing powers and the governed. I love humanity, but it’s too bad so much of society is so far from humane or kind, or engaged, or involved.
My view is, we should either work to make our country better – or leave it. Wherever we live. No fence-sitting, no waffling, or sitting this one out.
Citizenship is full of rights and responsibilities – and there is lots of accountability for government officials and elected ones too, but not so much required of citizens. We get to vote, but we don’t have to vote. We get lots of rights without the requirement to exercise them. We have laws that protect us and restrict us. We don’t get to opt-out of being citizens because we don’t feel motivated that day, and yet we don’t lose rights by being non-participants.
Nobody signed up for this.
Nobody asked for it.
What can we do?
Have a point of view, and defend it; pick a side, stick with it, stick up for it – otherwise, you earn the right to sit quietly and accept the consequences.
Reader feedback:
Right on Mark....on the last sentence of this Musing ! It is a- Sad Sad - situation on both side of the border! What to do? What to do? Wish I knew!, DB, Edmonton, AB
Mark, as you know, I completely agree “there remains no cure for the common politician”. LH, Lethbridge, AB
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