US Democracy and Aung San Suu Kyi

I Voted photo courtesy Daniel Morrison

It's funny how Americans are so pleased to claim their democratic roots and of course criticize their government about many aspects where they feel that our government is unfair, yet few Americans really get involved in politics in this country. Democracy is supposed to be rule by the people, but mostly what I hear from the people is allot of complaints, and many of the whiners don't even bother to vote. Don't vote don't whine is all I have to say. In the midterm election just completed on Nov 2, current estimate of voter turn out stands at about 40.2%.

40.2%  how disgusting, why did only 40.2% of registered voters vote in the midterm election? First just in case you didn't get it, yes I said less than half of registered voters failed to vote, if you count the population of the US who weren't even registered this means only 29% of Americans voted in the 2010 midterm elections. What does that mean? That means only 29% of us decide how this country is run.

I understand there is much apathy in this country when it comes to politics and I wish there was a quick fix on how to get more people involved in government.  One thing I know allot of Americans think the US political system is set up for the American wealthy, which for the most part is true.  If you look back in history the original Founding Fathers purposely set up our system so only the weatlhy would have a say so, after all they where some of the 52 riches men in America when they wrote up the US Constitution, the man in charge of the convention and  soon the be the first president of the United States Of America, none other than General George Washington himself was the richest man in the US at the time.  So originally our government was set up with an intent on protecting the wealthy families of America.

When the constitution was completed the only real regulation on voting the framers had included was that it was up to each of the 13 states to provide requirements for becoming a voter.  In the beginning the states gave very few Americans the right to vote, the main stumbling block was that you had to be rich in all states except Rhode Island , not necessarily in cash, for at that time wealth was often measured in how much land you owned, how many slaves you may have owned, investments as well as cold hard cash.
Now at first Americans were so busy trying to make a living to take care of their families and pay of huge debts which most people had ran up establishing farms and homes when this nation first started, however as farm work began to become more technologically advanced and the American public began having more free time and more money they began to fight for their rights to vote, the original requirements being you had to be male, white and wealthy.

Eventually after many demonstrations, mini rebellions and countless deaths class by class the American public received the right to vote and become more involved, until finally the only requirements where to be an American citizen with out a felony criminal record.

I wish people would remember these sacrifices so many people have made for the right to vote, that has been taken for granted so much only 29% of Americans vote, let take a more modern example of  Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma or Myanmar who has been in house arrest up to a couple days ago for 15 of the last 21 years.

Her fight for democracy in her country started in 1988 when the country's military ruler Ne Win stepped down from power and she began to lead demonstrations for democracy, to which the new military junta running the country agreed and elections eventually were held in 1990 where she won 59% of the vote for Prime Minister and her political party the National League For Democracy won 81% of the seats in Parliament, the elections results where disregarded by the military and she spent most of the years after that in house arrest. This was not her only sacrifice. for Burma. In 1947 her father Aung San founded the "modern" Burmese Army and negotiated Burma's independence from the British Empire and sadly was assassinated that same year.  This is just an example on how seriously democracy is taken just in one part of the world, but stories like this happen every day in every corner of the world.

It is time for Americans to get involved in our governmental process, many lives where lost to give us the right to vote, and yet hardly any of us act upon that right.  Many people in the world are fighting to throw of ruthless dictators to gain democracy, yet here in America if we don't watch out we may loose this thing called democracy that so many Americans take for granted, either quickly by some kind of military action or slowly as those in charge really start to take advantage of our apathy toward government and slowly erode our rights one by one!