Issue 25.15
Most of us go along from day to day concerned primarily with our own needs and personal responsibility. At times, that is more than we can handle. Our families, jobs, church responsibilities, etc. all take up significant time and energy. When someone talks about “civic responsibility”, we tend to think that they are just trying to get money or time from us for their own agendas (often with good reason). The question comes down to, “Do we, as citizens, have responsibilities and if so, what are they and why do they exist?”
Let’s start with the why. If it were not for our nation, our state and our communities, what would our lives be like? Do you receive benefits from being a part of each of those groups? I think it obvious that without some sort of police and fire protection, services such as water, power, sewage treatment, garbage collection, public schools, protection of property rights, etc., we would not enjoy our lives as much and feel as reasonably safe as we do. Our military has kept us safe from invasion by foreign powers that otherwise would have invaded and enslaved us. We are among the most free, most prosperous and most upwardly mobile humans that have ever existed on this planet. It is estimated that the standard of living most of us enjoy is higher than the majority of the royalty that have ever lived. Even our poor have more access to food, shelter and safety than the vast majority of people throughout history.
Who paid the price for this wealth and privilege? It was those who came before us – our founders, our ancestors and many others who sought and fought for freedom, who created industry and innovation and those that continue to do so. Will this continue for our children and generations after? That is pretty much up to us. What most people don’t seem to understand is that liberty and the prosperity and happiness that flow from it must be continuously created and valued. If we as citizens don’t value the blessings we have, and as a result ignore the duty we have to maintain them, we will lose them. We are already seeing the results of the “me” generation thinking that the world owes us a living but we don’t owe anything to anyone or anything else. The result is a loss of freedom, a dependency on government to solve all our problems and a willingness to surrender our liberty for the sake of a little supposed safety. This approach has never ended well for anyone but the powerful who gather the riches and control to themselves.
The duties of a citizen as I see them are:
Become aware. This is more than listening to the commentators that have their own agenda. It means reading about principles and foundational thinking. It means knowing what laws are being considered and it means attending or reviewing the meetings where decisions are made about our laws and taking the time to evaluate the probably consequences.
Actively participate. Vote – but not for a party. Research the individual candidates and issues. Find out how they have voted in the past. Support the principles you believe in and the candidates that will do more than pay lip-service to those principles. Vigorously oppose laws, bond elections and other public actions that will move us in the wrong direction. Educate others in any way you can once you have become well-informed.
Put skin in the game. Once you have found who and what will support liberty, make it personal. You can and should make a difference. Whether that is by contributing to someone who will stand up for these things or writing or speaking or challenging others, it matters and encourages those who wish to also contribute time or money to the good. Strongly consider running for office or serving on community boards. Use the principles of freedom to make correct decisions if you have a position of influence or power. Don’t choose political expediency or cronyism over what is right for our future and our freedom.
We must find and support those who will protect and defend these freedoms and truths or we will lose them.
Lynn West is a thinker, a teacher and a patriot. You can reach him through email at forgingthefuture2021@gmail.com or through this newspaper. Liberty is a state of being which must be continually created. These articles can help all of us discover the ways we can contribute to that outcome.