Following is the text, as prepared for delivery,
of the remarks by U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Joseph
Mussomeli at the January 30 opening of the Embassy-sponsored 2004
Tagaytay Seminar for Future Leaders held in Caylabne, Cavite Province:
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Citizen participation:
A key element of a democracy
The theme of this year’s Tagaytay Seminar is “Citizen
Participation in the Electoral Process: Not Just A Vote." Could
we have chosen a more relevant and timely theme? The fight for the
Presidency this year could prove to be louder, tougher, more vicious
and more verbally combative than any race in living memory. And that’s
just the American presidential campaign! God knows how wild and exciting
the Philippine election campaign will be.
Albert Einstein once said, "it is the duty of every citizen according
to his best capacities to give validity to his convictions in political
affairs." I had to read this ten times before I could figure
out what it meant. Perhaps an easier, or at least more down to earth
characterization, comes from a stranger different source: “Democracy
is not something you believe in. It is not a place to hang your hat.
It’s something you do. You participate. If you stop doing it,
democracy crumbles.” For those of you old enough and weird enough
to remember him, those words were spoken by Abbie Hoffman —
I think right before he was put in jail for conspiracy to riot in
Chicago in 1968.
We cite ancient Athens as the cradle of democracy, but democracy was
given its start there by a man who was not democratically elected
at all: Solon. Solon introduced political reforms that encouraged
participation in government by all classes of society because he realized
that people, regardless of who they are, only value things that they
are involved in, including their communities.
It took about two centuries for Athens to develop its form of democracy,
and even then it permitted slaves and excluded many inhabitants, including
women, from any participation.
The United States took almost as long -- just under 200 years -- before
its entire citizenry became full participants in democratic government.
First only those white males over 21 who owned property could vote;
then only the wealthy white males over 21 regardless of property;
then all free white men with an education, then all free white men
regardless of education, and so on. A slow, tough slog through two
centuries.
One famous example. In 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
granted all male citizens the right to vote but Jim Crow Laws in the
south prevented Black Americans from voting. During the 1950's and
60's, the Civil Rights Movement produced a ground swell of citizen
participation in the political process and forced this issue, and
many others, to the forefront of the political agenda. One of the
legislative victories of this movement, the Voting Rights Act of 1965,
finally guaranteed the right to vote for everyone. No more poll taxes,
no more literacy tests.
So for two hundred years, usually through peaceful legal means and
sometimes through warfare and other violent means, we now have universal
suffrage in the United States. But so what? We still have one of the
worst voting records anywhere in the world. In one way this is a good
indicator: when people are content, they see less need to go out and
demonstrate and fight and vote. In another way, though, it can be
an indication that people have given up hope or have cynically concluded
that all the candidates are all alike. Or even worse: an indicator
of a lazy, lax attitude. One keen observer of democracy in America
once complained: “A citizen of America will cross the oceans
to fight for democracy, but won’t cross the street to vote.”
And what of the Philippines? In 1946, the only democratic republic
in Asia was the Philippines. Thanks to the brave and determined people
who thronged the streets during EDSA I, the country is again a democratic
nation. And it is such a vibrant democracy: people are taking an active
role in political campaigns. NGOs, religious groups, and the media
are working to ensure fair and honest elections.
Citizen participation –- and not just voting -- is a key element
of a democracy. Democracy requires active participation by its citizens
to hold politicians accountable. This is a continuing challenge in
the United States, in the Philippines, and all democracies. Remember
that a true “patriot must always be ready thru democratic means
to defend his country even against his government.”
And try also to remember that democracy has many enemies: tyranny,
greed, corruption, cynicism, indolence, indifference, and despair.
And it only has one ally: the people. Don’t forget that; and
don’t forsake them.
