AMERICA'S REAL RULING CLASS
Do you feel government isn’t run by and for folks like you? Government today is controlled by a small minority, who use it to advance their interests and agendas. This small elite controls politics at all levels, holding your destiny in their hands. America is divided into governors and governed. So who is this ruling class? We call them “citizens.”
Note, I say “citizens.” Not “the People.” That’s a huge term, like “air.” Every so often, like a hurricane, the People rise up, and when they do, they become citizens. But for all our fancy words, the People are like passive shareholders. They don’t rule. They are the governed.
“Residents?” No. A “resident” is someone who happens to be sitting someplace. Residents just have an address. They do not rule.
“Consumers?” These folks have vast economic power. Fortunes rise and fall at their whim. But simply as consumers, they don’t rule politics or government. They are the governed.
“Taxpayers?” They are the foundation, the bedrock. Their sweat and toil makes the whole structure possible. All government rests on their sturdy shoulders. But they aren’t automatically the rulers, either.
“Voters? Now you’re getting somewhere. But who votes? The rulers. And who are they?
Citizens, that’s who. Not the People, residents, consumers, or taxpayers—but citizens. How do you become one? We do it like most everything else in America: We leave it up to the individual. “Citizens” are people who take responsibility for their society, community, and government. The citizen is someone who assumes responsibility for the direction and governance of the community. A citizen is someone who speaks up and backs that speech with action. Citizens step forward and take on the burden.
A citizen can have one issue or an agenda, be broad-minded or a narrow fanatic. She could be completely selfless or tightly focused on personal gain. The citizen may run for office, serve on boards, work for campaigns, or just stay informed. At the very least, a citizen votes. One friend said, Congressman A “does a good job at representing the whole district, but the entire district doesn’t show up on Election Day.” Citizens show up.
The citizen is someone who goes to boring meetings when everyone else is watching TV. The citizen waits in line at the polls when everyone else is off at the lake. The citizen is that schlub handing out literature in the pouring rain, or making a nuisance of himself at the Commission meeting. If she makes a lot of trouble, we call her an “activist.” If she runs for office and wins, we call her a “politician.”
This ruling class isn’t closed. Anyone can join. Just show up to a meeting and speak or step up to the polls and vote. Registering to vote and getting absentee ballots is ludicrously easy. Even if you can’t vote, you can assume the labor of citizenship; there is always more work than are hands to do it. It’s mostly a thankless job. Folks will criticize and mock you. You’ll have victories and bitter, embarrassing public losses.
But you will help govern. Your ideas, beliefs, and concerns will shape your community. The things you think important will be addressed. And you’ll always know that you carried the burden forward, keeping the chain unbroken, from the Founders to your unborn, unknown future heirs. You’ll know it’s YOUR community, not somebody else’s.
