First appearing in The Tecumseh Herald, Oct. 11, 2023
“That government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” These words have been used by politicians over the past 160 years, but they were first utted by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, at a bloody battlefield in Gettysburg, Pa., now a national military park visited by thousands every year.
In November 1863, when Lincoln gave his famous speech, people were less educated, fewer people could read, the world had not yet discovered the kind of technology we all take for granted today. In fact, it was during the American Civil War that journalism as we know it and teach it today was codified, and interest in reading the newspaper exploded.
In his book, “Reporting and Writing: Basics for the 21st Century,” Chip Scanlan writes, “Newspapers spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in telegraph costs to report the Civil War. That economic pressure more than anything else influenced a new kind of writing that departed from the flowery language of the 19th century–it was concise, stripped of opinion and detail.”
As our country became more advanced, more people took advantage of public education. The era from 1910 to 1940 is generally considered a period when children started to move on to high school from those one-room schoolhouses of the 19th century. My grandmother, born in 1910, only went through the eighth grade, for example, but my parents both finished high school. Today, it’s unusual for a young adult not to have a high school diploma–whether they went a traditional route or earned a GED.
All of this is possible because we have that “government by the people and for the people.” We have more access than ever to information–the big challenge now is determining what is true and what isn’t. But that information is out there. With a few clicks on Google search, you can find out what’s happening anywhere in the world. You can visit local, state, and federal websites and find out who your representatives are and send them emails. You can see what legislation is pending that impacts your life. You can search for information on how our government works, from the township Planning Commission to the Supreme Court, and everything in between.
At last night’s meeting of the Raisin Township Planning Commission, some 100 residents expressed their dismay and opposition to another gravel pit. Their concerns were recorded and hopefully heard by the person who is proposing the operation. But, as Treasurer Dale Witt pointed out, if the plan meets all of the requirements of the township’s master plan and ordinances, the commission must approve it.
That tells me our power lies in being aware of how our township has determined land should be used, including residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural, and in participating in our democracy. Sometimes meetings are tedious, dull discussions of policy or rules, but democracy itself is a slow process. The Planning Commissioners, the Township Trustees, the City Council, County Commissioners, all are working for the benefit of each of us. We owe it to them–and to ourselves–to have an understanding of how government works. We can learn this easily by “Googling” it or by attending a meeting of our local governing bodies.
Knowledge is power. Being informed through attending meetings, reviewing site plans, looking at the upcoming agendas, all of these are essential and all are available and accessible. You can go online, you can call your local clerk’s office, you have access. Use it.
We can vote, too. That perhaps is the single greatest way to participate in our democracy.
As we ramp up to the 2024 election year, knowledge is more important than ever. Participation is more critical than ever. But tolerance is essential to the survival of our democracy.
I have many friends whose political opinions I disagree with quite heartily and they are equally disagreeable with mine. But my relationships with them are far more important than our politics. As we face what is likely to be our most vitriolic and divisive year yet, I urge everyone to use the tools at their disposal and learn about the issues. Get involved. Be a part of the process. Attend meetings. Vote. And don’t forget to exercise a bit of kindness while you’re at it.
We’re all in this together.
SQUIBS 