Sisters, you need to vote

Once again, I find myself agreeing with my friend Mike Morgan (The Nugget, February 27, page 2).

We differ on some of the issues he raised, and I look forward to a discourse with Mr. Morgan when the local option election has concluded. Mr. Morgan is a model of civic participation and engagement and I respect his well-thought-out opinions - he has enlightened me on several occasions. But one thing that we do agree on: Sisters, you need to vote.

To teach causation in U.S. History, my students are asked to consider the theme "Growth of Democracy" and the struggle of individuals and groups to define the exercise of civil rights and political freedom for all members of American society. Our belief in democracy is something that transcends every historical era and is a touchstone that allows us to compare people and events across time.

Lyndon Johnson stated that "(t)he vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men."

We must thank our founding fathers for creating a political process that allowed for the expansion of suffrage and empowerment, but this was more of a struggle than a process, it was not easy for groups to be included in the definition of citizen. Established views on race, gender, religious beliefs and accepted restrictions to the vote all had to be subverted and replaced with a broadened definition of citizen. These struggles ensure that once the franchise is achieved it is something that must be cherished and vigilantly safeguarded, or else we risk a shrinking of our democracy.

I have difficulty seeing how not voting is honoring the best of our ideals as a nation and people. Participation is the defender of democracy; apathy is the enemy.

Sisters, you need to vote.

Each generation's definition of "Democracy" reflects larger societal conditions. We had Jeffersonian Democracy, where each of us was to serve as a stakeholder in society and guard against the intrusive Federal-State and rejoice in our personal liberties. Jacksonian Democracy was a raucous affair that saw widespread voter participation. FDR's "Four Freedoms" seemed to justify the New Deal and safeguard our democracy from fascist and socialist extremism.

Today, in Oregon, Measure 56 reflects a fear of an encroaching or creeping state government and requires a double majority for state and local tax levies in some elections. I appreciate this viewpoint and love Oregon for it, but we need not fear our local option as an example of creeping government. This levy is a renewal, it will maintain the status quo, and the voters in the Sisters School District need to reflect a higher and deeper appreciation of democracy.

Sisters, you need to vote.

People abroad respect and look to America as an example of how a democracy should work. We started as an alternative to monarchies and kingdoms. Our democracy has uplifted people around the world, served as a bulwark against fascism in World War II and Communism in the Cold War. It is the best model to answer the problems facing the world and will ensure liberty and justice. Not voting is a poor example for our community, the state, and the rest of the world.

Sisters, you need to vote.

Bill Rexford is a U.S. History teacher at Sisters High School.