It’s easy to feel small and unimportant in a world populated by billions of people. It’s easy to think that what you do or how you act does not have an effect on the way society ticks.
This country has a lot of problems. Something is always wrong with a new president, a local politician or some state law. No one really understands Obama Care. That new guy is a rumored socialist. Oh, but this woman wants to tax you for all you’re worth (probably wants your soul too). Government programs are bankrupt. Why are we in the middle east, again? We print money like it magically appears in trees… the list is astronomically long.
Why?
You can’t please everyone. It’s as simple as that. Someone, whether it’s in a 200-person town or downtown New York City, will not agree. If we did, this life would be far less exciting. We would never challenge or inspire one another to push the limits and change tradition.
America is flawed because it was never created to please everyone all the time. The constitution was designed to give a voice to the people. It’s up to us on how we choose to use it.
We can start by knowing what it means to be a politician and understanding our own constitution. That is the only way to clear the current corruption. To make an informed vote, you have to realize what it means to vote and what you are voting for. If we do not know our own constitution, then dishonesty will continue because people will gain position by taking advantage of our ignorance.
Lately, politicians have not been the most popular people in the world. Many are accused of pursuing an election because of money. Some are blamed for their wealth or family ties. Being a politician has now become a career, but it was never supposed to be that way. An individual, whom we have supposedly elected into office to be a voice for American people, is not respected. That doesn’t seem right. We have lost what it means to be a politician.
In A More Perfect Union, Ben Carson describes the men who helped form the Constitution of the United States. They came from a variety of backgrounds, such as farming, doctors, business and soldiers. One type of individual didn’t exist. These men held political positions to help the nation, and then they would return to their former lives.
It was and should always be a selfless job that is done for the betterment of American citizens. Today, corruption has forced many Americans to turn away from the government and feel distrustful.
But, this is exactly what is hurting us. We have to face the corruption and hold our chosen leaders accountable for their actions. Carson writes, “We must remember that freedom is not free. We have to regard it as a prized possession that must be fought for and protected everyday.” What this country has to offer is not a right. It is a privilege created by individuals who knew what it was like to live under tyrannical rule. The moment we stop voting, think that a voice counts for nothing, or ignore the people in charge, is the moment we stop empowering the United States and ourselves.
If we know the history of our country, then we will have the knowledge to clearly see when something is not right. It’s not going to be easy to put America back on its feet.
It’s possible that my generation won’t see the changes. But what about 100 years from now? 200 years? You will have family on this earth, and if we can’t spend the time researching politicians and filling in a bubble on a ballot for ourselves, then we might as well do it for them.