Accountable Citizenship

Congratulations!  We made it through another presidential election.  Some of us were pleased with the results; others of us were disappointed.  In the final analysis, the true winner in the election was our system of democratic (small "d") participation.  If you voted, give yourself a pat on the back for exercising your birthright--something that has been guaranteed by the blood and treasure of our young men & women since before we became a country.

If you didn't vote, perhaps you should be asking yourself "why not?".  What is it that has soured your desire to take advantage of the liberties afforded under our Constitution?  My purpose for asking is not to moralize or pass judgement.  I'd just like to understand the perspective of those who choose not to vote (I do mean "choose".  If you were out of town or unable to vote due to illness, infirmity, etc., you get a free pass).  Is it a loss of hope or a sense of powerlessness?  Are you convinced your single vote doesn't matter so why be inconvenienced?  Do you just feel that you couldn't support any candidate, at any level of government, so you opted to just stay at home?

Whatever the real reason(s), I beg you to reconsider.  I am a firm believer that we get the government we deserve.  Accountable citizenship demands of us that we own the outcomes of our decisions, good or bad.  Staying on the sidelines may feel safe, but it doesn't remove our individual accountability for what results from our actions (or inactions).