Vote wisely, or not at all. Part 1
We are continually encouraged to vote. We are rarely encouraged to think things through beforehand.
Vote!
Don’t you hate civics lessons? BORING!
And don’t you hate it when your country is going to hell? Not so boring. Downright scary.
Have you stopped to think, maybe there’s a connection? We the People are supposed to be the brains, the ethics, the character and the judgment behind our governments. It was a new idea, back in the eighteenth century, the People running the show. Prior to that, it was mostly Kings, Queens and aristocracy who ran things.
So, who is better at running things, them or us? I won’t be commenting on aristocracy, but I will be examining the extent to which We the People suck at running governments. Remember, the mess we are in right now is of our own making. It’s been said, “Every People gets the government they deserve.” It’s also been said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us!”
Let’s, for once, examine who we are and why we suck at running governments. Back in the day there were no political parties in the USA. But there were political factions developing at the beginnings of the USA. They knew then that there would be trouble. They just didn’t know how much.
Back in the day, few people could vote. We have dumbed down history class to the point that even many history teachers believe that all white men could vote back then, and no women or blacks could vote. It’s far trickier than that. In the olden days, there was no central control. That meant each community made its own rules and laws. The reality is that in some communities, all could vote, regardless of race or sex. More generally, though, it was only some men.
Men were presumed to be overseeing the needs and rights of their wives and children. Patriarchal? You bet. But not necessarily evil or unworkable. We’re talking about a time when families were largely self-sufficient entities nearly fully responsible for seeing to raising their own food, building their own home and making their own clothes. Think about how little the workings of a far-off government meant to them. Sure, it meant something, but not on a daily basis. There was a head of household, and he was ultimately responsible for everyone. And, if it helps, my extensive direct reading of the works BY and not just ABOUT the people of the times indicates that marital relationships were much like today. Generally, but not always, the wife was coequal to the husband. The law may not have said so, but custom did.
Imagine living like it was then. If you want water, go to the stream and get it. If you want clothes, start sewing. If you want to eat, well I hope that the crop came in healthy, and that the game are running. If you want a place to live, start building. A husband and wife, and the kids, all contributed in whatever way worked best.
There was little thought of being provided for by someone else. Those who know their history know that I am vastly oversimplifying. But I am essentially correct concerning the factors that led to there being a USA.
Who could vote then? Did it matter? Not that much. In some areas, there was reasonably close to universal suffrage. In others, few could vote, not even white men. But now, very nearly everyone can vote. And now, it really, REALLY matters. Now we vote on where the water will come from. And the food. And the clothes. We’re to the point where nearly everything is up for a vote. We’re to the point that the (misattributed) words of our ancestors come back to haunt us, “American democracy will survive only until such time as the Americans come to believe they can vote themselves prosperity.” That wasn’t a wild guess. That was what history, REAL history, teaches.
(In the next post, Vote wisely, or not at all Part 2, I discuss the requirements of the modern voter. Voting is not just a right; it is a responsibility.)
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