Democracy, Politics, and my 6 year-old...

With the impending Presidential election, now seems to be a prime time to delve into the realm of democracy and political philosophy with my son. With all of the ads, the news headlines, the constant chatter of the adults in his life, it is becoming quite apparent to him that this is something important and possibly exciting. I have spent the last few weeks looking at the climate of politics in this country and racking my brain to figure out how to approach these concepts with him, mostly when my idea of democracy seems to be quite a bit different than what I’m seeing. So, I’ve decided to start with the basics. What exactly is democracy?

Democracy, from what I can see, means different things to different people but the New Oxford American Dictionary definition is as follows:

Democracy: (n.)

Middle French democratie, from Late Latin democratia, from Greek demokratia (demos-the people, kratia-power, rule, strength)

- a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
- a state governed in such a way
- control of an organization or group by the majority of its members
- the practice or principles of social equality

I’m sure we can all agree that these concepts may be a little beyond the comprehension of a 6 year-old. I mean he understands that the United States has a President and a Vice-President and that we have a government that is made up of elected officials. He is beginning to understand that those of us 18 and over have the right to vote for those officials (after all, he’s been to the voting center twice this year). And although I think it’s imperative that he understands the basic concepts of voting and governmental structure, there is so much more to it than that!

Obviously a citizen should utilize their right to vote, however, each person should take the time to actually do some research before casting that vote. Voting is a HUGE responsibility! And this is where I begin to see problems. In this country it has become so easy to just become affiliated with one party or another and vote along those lines no matter what, check that “straight ticket” box and be done, a one-size fits all plan. I firmly believe this is not how a true democracy is intended to work. A true democracy requires that each individual actually take responsibility to become educated on the issues and use one’s mind and voice and take appropriate actions. We have all but lost the ability to think for ourselves as we’re being spoon-fed our ideals by two distinct platforms. Whatever happened to voting for issues and policies? Do we not owe it to ourselves to be educated on a candidate’s policies? And I’m not talking about “educating” yourself on Fox News or MSNBC.

So what is it that I would want my 6 year-old to take from this? First and foremost, when the time comes for him to vote, I would want him to use his greatest gift… his mind. I would want him to go into each election with no pre-determined notions about either candidate. I would want him to actually LISTEN and pay attention to debates. I would want him to do independent research that wasn’t handed to him via the television or radio by sharp-tongued reporters and correspondents. I would want him to look at all sides of the issues objectively then use those wonderful skills that we have all been blessed with, critical reasoning and divergent thinking. Hopefully by looking at issues from every angle he would be able to make an informed and educated decision. And once he follows through and makes an informed, educated choice then he has something called integrity and no matter whether someone agrees or disagrees with his choice, he will be confident that he made the best decision he could based on all the information available.

Now would I want him to think that his decision is the only viable decision, or the “right” decision for everyone? Of course not, that would be ludicrous. We live in a country of over 300 million people, there is no possible way for one ideology to work for everyone and this is where things get messy! Democracy is not a “my way or the highway” kind of philosophy. If I could impart any wisdom about democracy and politics to my son it would be this… Practice tolerance and respect for others. As Americans we may not all agree how our country should be run, but that doesn’t mean anyone of us is less of an American than anyone else. If I walked out my door right now, I guarantee every person I met would say they wanted the best for our country, but I also guarantee that they would all have different ideas of how to accomplish things. We all have different lives, different ideals, and different backgrounds that affect how we see the issues and how we vote. I would hope that our democratic community is diverse enough and strong enough to accept these differences and embrace them. It’s what makes our country so amazing! It is also our responsibility to work together through our differences to find common ground without the use of intimidation and disrespect. We can all agree to disagree, but work hard TOGETHER to find common ground for the common good, something that I think we have lost sight of.

I also want my son to know that our government is supposed to work just as hard for me, a housewife who makes no money, as they would a CEO who makes $1,000,000 a year. According to the definition, democracy is practicing social equality. Therefore my vote is equal to Bill Gates’ vote, which is equal to my dentist’s vote and we each have the right to exercise that vote, pretty cool, right? My son’s vote WILL matter and he WILL have the power to make a difference! I never want him to underestimate himself. He has the power to make a difference in his own life, in his family, in his community, in his state, in his nation and in the world!

The last bit of wisdom I would like to pass on to my son is the ability to look to the future and hope for better. I would never ever tell him that he is naïve to dream and to hope! I have told him since the day he was born that the sky is the limit and anything is possible! And just as that holds true for every individual, it also holds true for our nation! The United States of America is not perfect and we should never be so conceited as to think so. It is a wonderful country, full of opportunity, but just like each individual, the nation could and should strive to be better! Our government and our nation are evolving, just like everything else on the planet. Change is inevitable. Change is wonderful! And this is where democracy shines! Each eligible citizen has the ability to make a difference and affect change. There is something incredibly empowering about that!

In 6 days our country will elect its next President. People will cast their votes, the votes will be counted, the electors will cast their votes representing their state and the course of history will forever be changed with either administration. Now whether the candidate of my choice wins or not, I will be comforted in the fact that I did my research, I listened to all the debates, I used my mind, I cast my ballot and I respected the rights of everyone else who did the same thing. And that is what I want my 6 year-old to learn from this election! We all have a vote, we all have a voice and we have no grounds to complain if we don’t actively participate in the democratic process.