Practicing Democracy

All learned skills need regular practice to maintain. Skills we've never truly learned require a lot more.

In California's recent election, only 12% of the registered 'voters' practiced voting, which may make them rusty for the next opportunity - one they might deem more interesting.

Up in Wisconsin, the Governor is practicing his particular form of democracy, where anything goes if it leads to winning. And the Wisconsonian Democrats played their hand by leaving the table and getting locked outside when they needed to be inside. Despite their bureaucratic waltz, neither team seemed very practiced at real democracy, and their ineptitude will cause great grief for Wisconsonites.

And elsewhere, a committee has formed to investigate the radicalization of American muslims. The leader of this team says this investigation is critical to the safety of Americans, but has any Congressional committee ever accomplished anything of value, aside from being a showcase for pet and very polarizing political views? Or as a launchpad for a political career?

All of this is just to hopefully make clear we need more (and better) practice in exercising the responsibilities of citizenship. It's needed at every level, but it starts with the polling place, and that means Us.