Now it’s up to you — your vote comes with much responsibility
We like to bandy the idea of democracy around, promoting the value of elections and citizen involvement. But those features are not the primary intention of democracy. Instead, it is to promote deliberation, consideration which produces a broader perspective and more considered response.
Exercising the rights of our representative democracy – voting, free speech, etc. – is valuable only in as much as it produces said deliberation.
Alexis de Toqueville, whose insightful 19th century observations on American political life continue to bear fruit in contemporary analysis, noted that “liberty is an arduous apprenticeship.”
If you wish to assert your rights, you must respect the responsibilities that come with them.Electronic communications and social media only magnify the significance of these concerns. Continue reading
