VOTING: Citizens, step up

Sholeh’s column on July 26 cited the 2014 survey from Princeton University that the USA is no longer a Democracy. Regardless of the survey, the USA is representative and self-ruling. This is versus totalitarian, autocratic, despotic, tyrannical, fascistic, Nazi, theocratic and generally undemocratic types of government. Traveling to another country exemplifies and contrasts the value of the American way of life, its government and of USA citizenship!

However, if participation in voting was the criteria to judge our Democracy, the results of the Princeton survey might to be partially true. Approximately 78,000 people of Kootenai County’s 157,000 population are registered to vote. So why are 50 percent of Kootenai citizens not registered?

Of course, some of our citizenry are too young to register; some adults are unqualified; maybe some adults have not been taught the privilege of voting. Some non-registered (and also non-voters) have a subservient attitude such as “they (the government or city council or commissioners) will do what they want anyway, they don’t care about us!”

Another verbalized assumption is that “he,” a popular or prestigious individual, runs everything even though “he” is not an elected official. In contrast, we as citizens are privileged to collectively decide ballot issues, elect officials and affect our society.

To nonvoters: Be brave, assert your influence, pray for your leaders, and enjoy our constitutional rights and responsibilities. We are all in this together.

MARY SMITH

Coeur d’Alene