Dissention 11/20/03
The voice of dissent is the origin of democracy in America.
The Patriots stood their ground against the hostile control of King George III. They founded our country on the belief that nonconforming opinions are important. In writing one of the most defiant documents of all time, the Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers officially and eloquently articulated their revolutionary dispute with the King of England. The Constitution of the United States of America protects our freedom to disagree with any governing body. Such freedom comes with the responsibility to question the actions of our elected officials.
We are fortunate to live in an age of rising political openness. Journalists, politicians and celebrities often use the media to challenge authority. Newspapers like the Courier, popular Internet sites like www.hazlet.info, and the recently enacted “sunshine” laws, give every citizen more power to influence their government.
The voice of dissent comes from people who have the courage and conviction to stand up for what they believe is right. Locally, citizens have the opportunity to ask questions and present opposing viewpoints during the public portion of our townships’ various board and committee meetings.
When a responsive government works to plausibly debate or incorporate reasoned opposition in the creation of its laws and the development of its goals, we witness democracy in action.
During election season, citizens can hardly escape the many vociferous opinions of the issues at hand.
This year, the editors of the Courier invited concerned citizens from our community, whether running for office or not, to write weekly opinion columns. Alex Desevo, Joe Hawley, Jane Frotton, Marc Nusbaum and others shared their views on these pages.
Now that Election Day has passed, many of these voices have disappeared.
Do these writers believe their opinions are only valuable during the three months preceding an election? Even opinions that take the form of “nasty-grams” should still be heard. Open debate is essential to a government’s ability to resolve conflict and find positive, goal-oriented momentum. By listening to and participating in the debate, our elected officials can more effectively serve the needs of the majority of citizens.
Democracy affords us the privilege of expecting our government to act in the best interest of the community. Democracy demands that governments pave a middle road to progress with respect for the opinions and needs of constituents.
With the election of a four-to-one republican majority to the 2004 Hazlet Township Committee, Mr. Nusbaum’s column could have become an important voice of dissention. I am disappointed that Mr. Nusbaum did not submit a column for last week’s edition of this paper. I will continue to listen for the strictly democratic voice of Hazlet.
If we avoid thorough deliberation of the issues, we cannot rightly hold our elected officials accountable for failing to meet our expectations, nor can we accuse them of not listening to our concerns.
Rich Kohler is a long-time Hazlet resident. Rich contributes regularly to the privately owned informational website, www.hazlet.info. Send comments and question to Rich at richkohler@comcast.net.
The Patriots stood their ground against the hostile control of King George III. They founded our country on the belief that nonconforming opinions are important. In writing one of the most defiant documents of all time, the Declaration of Independence, our founding fathers officially and eloquently articulated their revolutionary dispute with the King of England. The Constitution of the United States of America protects our freedom to disagree with any governing body. Such freedom comes with the responsibility to question the actions of our elected officials.
We are fortunate to live in an age of rising political openness. Journalists, politicians and celebrities often use the media to challenge authority. Newspapers like the Courier, popular Internet sites like www.hazlet.info, and the recently enacted “sunshine” laws, give every citizen more power to influence their government.
The voice of dissent comes from people who have the courage and conviction to stand up for what they believe is right. Locally, citizens have the opportunity to ask questions and present opposing viewpoints during the public portion of our townships’ various board and committee meetings.
When a responsive government works to plausibly debate or incorporate reasoned opposition in the creation of its laws and the development of its goals, we witness democracy in action.
During election season, citizens can hardly escape the many vociferous opinions of the issues at hand.
This year, the editors of the Courier invited concerned citizens from our community, whether running for office or not, to write weekly opinion columns. Alex Desevo, Joe Hawley, Jane Frotton, Marc Nusbaum and others shared their views on these pages.
Now that Election Day has passed, many of these voices have disappeared.
Do these writers believe their opinions are only valuable during the three months preceding an election? Even opinions that take the form of “nasty-grams” should still be heard. Open debate is essential to a government’s ability to resolve conflict and find positive, goal-oriented momentum. By listening to and participating in the debate, our elected officials can more effectively serve the needs of the majority of citizens.
Democracy affords us the privilege of expecting our government to act in the best interest of the community. Democracy demands that governments pave a middle road to progress with respect for the opinions and needs of constituents.
With the election of a four-to-one republican majority to the 2004 Hazlet Township Committee, Mr. Nusbaum’s column could have become an important voice of dissention. I am disappointed that Mr. Nusbaum did not submit a column for last week’s edition of this paper. I will continue to listen for the strictly democratic voice of Hazlet.
If we avoid thorough deliberation of the issues, we cannot rightly hold our elected officials accountable for failing to meet our expectations, nor can we accuse them of not listening to our concerns.
Rich Kohler is a long-time Hazlet resident. Rich contributes regularly to the privately owned informational website, www.hazlet.info. Send comments and question to Rich at richkohler@comcast.net.
posted by Rich Kohler at 11:33 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home