The government is you, and you are it, so get involved

“In a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, ‘holds office;’ every one of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.” — John F. Kennedy

“We the People of the United States… do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” — Preamble, U.S. Constitution

By Bill McCamley

Last week, I went to the bank to cash my economic stimulus check. The lady at the counter said, “It’s nice to finally have the government do something good for once, isn’t it?” That phrase, “the government” got me thinking about our society, and what government in a democracy should mean, what it does mean to many people, and why there is a difference.

When the United States separated from England, the reason for this action was abundantly clear: They wanted more of a voice in their governance. Most of the people in the 13 colonies were proud to be English. However, because of the distance across the ocean and the disinterest of the English government for roughly 150 years, the colonies were left to fend for themselves and developed their own system of government. They formed legislative houses based on the newly emerging theory that people should govern themselves. When England wanted to tax and govern them without allowing them a say in the English Parliament, it led to the revolution and eventual independence.

After the revolution, when the Constitution was being drafted, the founders used this concept of self-determination to create our government, and they didn’t stop there. You know that phrase in the Declaration of Independence that talks about “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness?” It sets up the part of the declaration announcing that rulers in the United States would not govern based on their own whims, as kings and queens had done in Europe. Their responsibility was to rule in the best interest of the people they represented.

Furthermore, if they started to lose that responsibility, then the people should throw them out and find representatives who would rule in the best interest of the people.

This theory is called the social contract, and it is a large part of what makes this country special. But it is a two-edged sword. While this contract gives us all the ability to have a say in the entity that rules us, it also gives all of us an awesome responsibility. If we refuse to take an active role in the governmental process, the laws that govern us will be made by the few who do participate.

‘All of us… must bear the burden’

Ronald Reagan was elected on the concept that “government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.” While that may have been his rhetoric, Reagan did not hate the concept of government in the United States. After all, he ran for and became president, the pinnacle of governmental power, and expanded government in some ways throughout his term. What Reagan wanted was for more people to take control of their lives, saying, “if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else? All of us together, in and out of government, must bear the burden.”

Sadly, many in America only think about “The Government” as a separate entity on which to blame all of their problems, without bearing that burden of action that Kennedy and Reagan talked about.

Quite simply, government here is not some alien thing to be talked about in the third person. The government is you, and you are it. If you feel that the country, or the state, or your community is on the wrong track, go out and vote. Or, take some more responsibility and actively assist the candidate who you think will do the best job. Or, even better, if you feel that you can do a good job, run for office yourself.

In a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, 81 percent of Americans believed that our nation is on the wrong track. Whose fault is that? George W Bush’s? The Democratic Congress? Sure, they get some of it. But also look in a mirror, because some of it is ours. We voted for these people, and our opinions drive how they make policy.

If you are not happy with the way the war is going, or with the economy, or with health care or gas prices, then do something about it. Complaint without action is the worst kind of hypocrisy, and will lead to a government “Of the People, For the People, and By the People” becoming anything but.

McCamley is the District 5 Doña Ana County commissioner.