subjects or citizens?

I read an article recently that pointed out that America has elections, not coronations. While this observation may seem unnecessary and a bit late in coming, the gravity of such a simple statement suddenly struck me: we do not have a long line of pompous Jones or Smiths ruling the country.

There are no decades upon decades of possibly dictatorial regimes to fear, and there is no endless circuit of kings and queens over which we have no influence. In 1776, we declared our independence from such a system. People fought and died to rid themselves of the chains of the old tyranny, uniting under no less worthy cause than that of freedom – a freedom that extends far and wide.

The right to vote for our representation – and even to be represented in the first place – is a privilege, rather than a duty. But today, many people see it as neither. While freedom does mean the ability to choose, there is a paradoxical element to the definition that is all too often ignored: with freedom comes responsibility.

The evolution of voting rights in America has a history all its own. From only white, property-owning men being allowed to vote, this nation has come a long way. In 1869, the fifteenth amendment gave black men the right to vote, and the nineteenth amendment in 1920 gave a victorious conclusion to the women’s suffrage movement. In later years, there have been many more triumphs for the voting rights of minorities and American citizens in general.

With yet another presidential election drawing closer, the number of people that show up to the polls needs to increase. Right now, warm bodies with United States citizenships are all I ask. Americans should be lining the streets outside of their places of registration, eagerly waiting for the opportunity to have a voice in their representation. Sadly, such a picture is rarely (if ever) a reality.

Secondly, there are several questions to ask ourselves before we step into line: Are we engaging in the process? Do we follow political races with the same alertness with which we follow our favorite team’s progress? Do we understand the gravity of that trip – or lack thereof – to the voting booth?

Thankfully, we are not getting in line to see the coronation of the next monarch, but the apathy with which we regard our voting privileges matches the attitude of subjects rather than citizens. If we have freedom, then we must act like free men and women. We must participate, instead of choosing a lunch engagement or a manicure. We must engage, instead of switching to any channel but the news. We must take the initiative now, and, in doing so, honor the initiative that brave colonists took so many years ago.

The ability to vote and to have a voice in government is a privilege, and with such a privilege comes responsibility. We’ve had it for centuries now, but the question still remains: are we ready to take it on?

August 5, 2008
(article for The Review, Laurel, MS, newspaper)