Daniel Maka
Ms. Wisdom
Senior Composition-2
21 December 2012 Does not waste words.
Election Day a Federal Holiday
According to journalist H. L. Mencken, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard” (Quotation Details). In other words, Americans are hardworking and deserve the best. And as Americans we know exactly who can help us make this country the best possible. H. L. Mencken suggests that Americans choose representatives because of their credibility and how they will make our lives better. When it comes to defining the word “democracy,” freedom and opportunity may be the few words that come to mind. But the true definition of “democracy” is having the time to do something important that can help change our nation and better our future. Congress needs to understand that the word “democracy” means creating reforms in order to make Election Day a national holiday.
When it comes to understanding the word “democracy” it involves standing up for ourselves and doing what we believe is right. For example, when teachers and democrats went on strike in order to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker over education cuts and loss jobs, then that would be an example of democracy because that action demonstrates how Americans fought for their rights and allowed their voice to be heard. On the other hand, if Wisconsin residents had done nothing and allowed the cuts of jobs and spending of educational dollars to pay for tax breaks for corporations instead, that would not be an example of democracy because we aren’t fighting for the good of the people and hurting our future by not taking a stand. Clearly, then, when it comes to creating reforms in order to make Election Day a National Holiday, part of the definition of democracy involves creating time for ourselves in order to create a brighter future. The United States Government should understand that by creating reforms in order to make Election Day a national holiday, Congress must allow fellow voting Americans more time flexibility on Election Day in order to allow our voices and thoughts to be heard.
Democracy and freedom do not mean the same thing. According to John T. Wenders, “Freedom and democracy are different. Democracy addresses how affairs in the public sector will be conducted. Democracy is greater when individuals vote on those matters assigned to the public sector. On the other hand, freedom is concerned with the relationships among people in the private sector. Freedom means individuals may choose how to interact on a voluntary basis outside the purview of the state” (Freedom and Democracy). On the other hand, democracy isn’t when individuals vote on those matters assigned to the public sector but a decision to do something important that can help change our nation and better our future at our own will. By understanding the difference between freedom and democracy Congress can now understand how to create reforms in order to make Election Day become a national holiday.
Even though “democracy” may be defined in multiple manners, what Congress must understand is it’s our voice that is being heard. People run our society. We all live busy lives, and what Congress needs to provide voting citizens more time to do something important that can help change our nation and better our future.
Therefore, Congress must understand the difference between the word democracy and freedom in order to improve national voter turnout and better our voting process.
Over the last two elections, the problem of America’s turnout rate among voting Americans has been decreasing. In the 2010 primary election only 90,682,968 out of 235,809,266 eligible voters casted their vote, a turnout rate of 37.8% a 19% decrease compared to 2008 where the voting percentage was 56.8% (Common Sense). The United States has one of the lowest voting turnout statistics among democratic voting countries around the world. According