I was recently spent an amazing day in San Tomas, Guatemala. Yes, the Caribbean was spectacularly blue and the sand was soft. The rum was tasty, the shrimp (or shrimps – as the locals call it) were huge and the fruit was sweet. The rolling, lush green hills reminded me of the Blue Ridge Mountains after a rainy season. The whole experience lived up to every expectation.
But the defining moment of this particular day in Central America was a casual and unexpected conversation with a US Army Colonel named Joe. He and a group of service men and women were in Santo Tomas to help train the local military and — in their “off” time – were administering aid by providing dental and health clinics to the citizens of Guatemala. Joe was a dentist.
After a few “incisor” jokes and references to the movie “The Hangover” — we jumped right into the thick of it. We talked about politics, government, leadership, war, social responsibility and the human motivations that dictate all of them.
Perhaps it was the fact we were in a swimming pool, drinking piña coladas – or perhaps it was the blonde hair – but he was openly shocked at my extensively contemplated opinions and was appreciative of my candor. I too was shocked that this veteran of our military shared nearly all my views on the current state of affairs in Washington, Iraq, Afghanistan and Main Street America.
The two hours I spent with these gentlemen – sent to provide hope and make lives in this poverty stricken nation a bit better – were as impactful as any I have spent in a long time. I was refreshed by the intelligence and objectiveness of this officer and his team. I was equally frustrated by the realization that many of our “leaders” are not listening to people like us. People who work, vote, pay taxes, care about our communities and the future of our children. People who don’t expect to ever see a six-figure “bonus”, but do expect to be able to purchase individual healthcare coverage at a reasonable price – even if you are a female “of childbearing years”. People who give up the comforts of home and family to serve our nation – and the world – by fostering the idea that we should indeed be free from tyranny and have the basics of human care.
There is plenty of blame to go around for our current state of affairs – from corporate corruption that grows from a sense of entitlement; to bureaucrats who will say and do anything to protect the status quo (or better yet, their jobs); to the silent majority of citizens who don’t even show up to vote. In reality — nobody seems to be living up to expectations.
Let’s consider the last 2 elections held in Virginia. In November’s general election less than 40% of all registered voters showed up to the polls and in the recent local primary election – less than 4% of Roanoke City residents turned out. Yet, as I follow the news – the clamoring for change and criticism of our elected officials is at an all time high. There is a serious disconnect here.
Everyone seems to have an opinion about how to do things better or simply how we are “on the wrong track” – so why are they limiting their voice to cocktail parties and television rhetoric? Why are we turning our back on the very process for which our forefathers and civil rights leaders gave their lives?
Active participation in the democratic process is one of the only thing that makes a democracy different than other forms of governing. We are complaining that our leaders are not listening – but have neglected to fess up to the fact that we are not even speaking. We, as citizens, need to start living up to our side of the deal.
I have thought long and hard about Colonel Joe and his dedicated team of men and women who are serving humanity – and democracy – in Central America…any of whom were headed to Iraq and Afghanistan within weeks. They are making great sacrifices to defend the principle we claim to hold so dear. They are giving up time with their children, family and the comforts of home so that we may have the privilege of a Voice. It seems to me – the least we can do, as we enjoy the life and liberty their service ensures – is to live up to a simple expectation by taking 15 minutes on election day to put the best people in place.
By Stephanie Koehler [email protected]