Some Questions Reveal Who Should Be Next US President
Do you think George Bush knows how much a bus pass costs? When was the last time you think Dick Cheney pulled out an envelope full of coupons to save a few bucks at the grocery store? Does he even know what a grocery store is? I do not want to bash the President. But what I want to do is explain why so many of our national politicians aren’t ready to tackle the everyday problems the average American faces – simply because they have no idea what they are.
During my Illinois mayoral campaign this year, I held seven town hall meetings with topics ranging from improving education to accessing the healthcare system. Two trends stood out to me as I listened to the American people. First, I talked to people who had not voted in twenty years because they felt like they did not have anyone for whom to vote. These Americans felt voiceless in this local democratic system.
This sense of hopelessness and voicelessness caused me to reflect on what would cause a person not to exercise the right to vote for twenty years given the fact that Americans gave their lives for the right to vote. I quickly concluded that it must be more than apathy as described by many people. As I continued talking to people during my seven town hall meetings and on the campaign trail, I concluded that the reason for what we call apathy is actually disconnection. American citizens are disconnected from the democratic process because our leaders are disconnected from the American people.
