And So It Is-we ARE NOT helpless we can change any circumstance, but we may need to get involved-separate ourselves from our big screen TV, we have more pacifiers than a 3 month old baby-Europe is activated, and the EU is not as unified as some hoped!

Date:   6/2/2005 9:56:44 AM ( 19 y ago)

COMMENT: Desperate Democracy.

Dear A-Letter Reader:
Before France and the Netherlands rejected a new European Union
constitution this week, something extraordinary happened, at least in
the recent American experience: thousands of voters held hundreds of
debates in town halls and coffeehouses, on street corners and in schools.
Masses of people obviously were upset, aroused, unhappy or all three.
And they did something about it.

In both nations large numbers turned out to vote. In France, where the
191 page, 448-article treaty went down 55% to 45%, 70% of France's
registered 41.8 million voters cast ballots, a high turnout on a Sunday
that was also Mother's Day. In the Netherlands, 63% of Dutch voters were
against the constitution, only 37% in favor; there 62% of the voters went
to the polls.

In the view of USA Today, "With their votes, the French and Dutch people
did indeed shatter the proposed constitution. They sent another message
as well: Europe is not dead; it's being democratic."

Back in the 1950's I saw a Broadway musical, "Fiorella" starring Tom
Bosley as LaGuardia, the reform mayor of New York City. When the
maverick Republican-turned-Fusionist won his first term as mayor, one of
the actors says incredulously: "People can do what they want to, but I
gotta feeling it ain't democratic!"

No doubt that what's the stripped pants, cookie pushing diplomats and
faceless techno-bureaucrats in their Brussels splendor are saying today.

But complacent Americans can't take any comfort; when it comes to serious
political debate and participation, we're true slackers.

Of the millions eligible to vote in each US election, only about half
register to vote. Of that number, perhaps 50% plus actually vote. Thus
about one quarter of Americans decide for the other 3/4ths the direction
of the nation and choose its leaders.

And even when millions get upset, most politicians of both parties do as
they damn well please; imposing national ID cards on us, increasing PATRIOT
Act police powers in secret sessions, taping our phones, freezing our
cash and passing laws they don't even read.

For years the Swiss have had national initiatives and referendums on
questions ranging from bank secrecy to the kosher slaughter of animals.

Maybe it's time Americans got off their rears and did something more than
gripe and sit in front of TVs watching Desperate Housewives.

That's the way it looks from here.
Bob Bauman, Editor



 

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