"Direct participation in political activity is what makes a free society"

[omega minimo]

"The essence of the American Revolution -- the principle on which this country was founded -- is that direct participation in political activity is what makes a free society." -- Robert F. Kennedy

On yet another brilliant thread, H2O Man provided this striking quote from RFK. This is a different angle on “If you ain’t part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” In this case, Bobby Kennedy referred to “direct participation in political activity” that “makes a free society” as the ESSENCE and “the PRINCIPLE on which this country was founded.”

This is the essence and the principle that was “in the air” during the 60’s and early 70’s. This is the essence and the principle that has been neglected in the 90’s and 00’s.

If we understand and agree with the Kennedy quote-- and if we care about a free society-- then we understand that it depends on our direct participation and agree to be politically active.

Direct participation and political action can be as simple as paying attention. (see H2O Man’s link below for more ideas) However, the essence and the principle of RFK’s quote and the free society he is invoking is that we EMBODY that essence and principle in our daily lives-- how we live, how we treat others, how we empower ourselves and our community, how we keep in mind the big picture while attending to the up close and personal.

And if we do that, then there is no excuse for not voting. None. Apathy is not an option. Nihilism is an indulgence.

Then there is no excuse for ignoring that our daily lifestyle choices have a powerful impact on the larger world.

There is no excuse for always blaming the scoundrels in political office without facing our responsibility to demand that they do the right thing and represent the people.

If we understand that essence and believe in that founding principle, we don’t wait to be led and we don’t wait for someone to do it first and we don’t blame others without looking in the mirror and we don’t moan about a future we don’t want to live in while doing nothing to prevent it.

"The essence of the American Revolution -- the principle on which this country was founded -- is that direct participation in political activity is what makes a free society."

Bobby didn’t mean some of us, a few of us. He meant all of us. THAT is what makes a free society.

:patriot: :grouphug: :kick:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1483158&mesg_id=1483158
H2O Man
Setting Dick Cheney's Picnic Table

* Robert F. Kennedy; quote from "Make Gentle the Life of This World," by Maxwell Taylor Kennedy; Broadway Books; 1998

[snot]

1. Great post.

I can't resist sharing a favorite scene from Macbeth:

SON: What is a traitor?
LADY MACDUFF: Why, one that swears and lies.
SON: And be all traitors that do so?
LADY MACDUFF: Every one that does so is a traitor, and must be hanged.
SON: And must they all be hanged that swear and lie?
LADY MACDUFF: Every one.
SON: Who must hang them?
LADY MACDUFF: Why, the honest men.
SON: Then the liars and swearers are fools,
for there are liars and swearers enow to beat
the honest men and hang up them.

Act IV, scene ii, http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/macbeth/full.html

[omega minimo]

2. Aye, there's the rub

And some "indulgent nihilism" from Twain:

"It is not worthwhile to try to keep history from repeating itself, for man's character will always make the preventing of the repetitions impossible."

- Mark Twain in Eruption





Thanks snot :yourock:

[snot]

3. Thanks sweetie! Actually, I disagree a bit with Twain.

It's true we seem to have to learn most things for ourselves, the hard way, but I believe it IS possible at least in part to learn from others' mistakes instead. Key is the "learning" part -- you do actually have to have access to good education, and you have to be motivated to get the good out of it.

[omega minimo]

4. You Flamin Liberal!! Education! Motivation! Getting the Good Out of It!!

:toast:

I believe that the "essence" and "principle" of a free society RFK invokes WILL trump the "man's character" Twain points to.


"It's true we seem to have to learn most things for ourselves, the hard way, but I believe it IS possible at least in part to learn from others' mistakes instead."


RE: learning and education, add experience. Why in the space of one half a lifetime has this nation careened from Watergate, Viet Nam and Nixon to Plamegate, Iraq Nam and Nixon's cronies running the WH? Both these quotes contain the answer (and some of the Shakespeare :evilgrin: )

Bobby's quote answers the question, when will the American people wake up? When is enough enough? Why don't the people DO anything? How do they steal elections? Why don't people vote? Why do people fall for Rovian bullshit?

As a nation, we have lost the essence RFK identified-- it has been squeezed out of the public will quite deliberately by the same perpetrators. Many people no longer understand that a free society DOES depend on their individual actions. The powerlessness felt and expressed by Americans "even on DU" is a dirty lie.

[sutz12]

8. We must learn from other people's mistakes

We don't have time to make them all ourselves. ;)

[omega minimo]

9. Ceptin we're now making the same mistakes we've already made

:hi:

[Radical Activist]

5. You mean freedom doesn't come from a uniformed army with weapons?

Wow...I couldn't agree more.

[omega minimo]

6. Seems obvious and yet has been largely lost as a principle

that Americans live their daily lives by.

If more did so, none of the problems that DU dissects daily would even exist.......................... :hi:

[Gregorian]

7. We've learned to be lazy.

If I could blame, I would put it on the corporations. The concept being "We can do it for you". Forget the mess and the work. Farmers learned this just after WW2. The chemical companies came in and made it easier to run farms with chemicals. We have been taught to Not Do It. The human being has been removed from the process. And that has crept into politics. We are a nation of children, whose parents are the corporations. And of the politicians. They both are parental in the nature in which they treat the population. They tell us what's best. And we either buy it or not. More often than not, we buy it. Because it's easier. And so it goes with democracy. Wear a helmet. Don't smoke a joint. Don't burn a flag. None of it is important. But they make it sound that way. If we were really worried about head injuries, we would have health care. Not helmet laws. But that's a crappy example, and could be debated by anyone here. I digress.

Like the corporate scenario, in politics we get what we vote for. The illusion is that they are doing something for us. But WE pay the price and WE vote in the election. WE are in control. It's only when WE lose sight of that when THEY actually do control us.

By this double edged sword, we can cut off our own head when we ask for that which is not in our best interest. Not paying attention is an implicit vote to give politicians more power. That is what is happening today.

[genie_weenie]

10. "Do you think," said Candide, "that mankind

always massacred one another as they do now? Were they always guilty of lies, fraud, treachery, ingratitude, inconstancy, envy, ambition, and cruelty? Were they always thieves, fools, cowards, gluttons, drunkards, misers, calumniators, debauchees, fanatics, and hypocrites?"

"Do you believe," said Martin, "that hawks have always been accustomed to eat pigeons when they came in their way?"

"Doubtless," said Candide.

"Well then," replied Martin, "if hawks have always had the same nature, why should you pretend that mankind change theirs?"

Voltaire, Candide 1759, Chapter 21

Government, being run by men, will neccessarily be run by evil men...

[omega minimo]

11. Our system of government depends on the spirit in the OP quote

A free society is made by the essence, the principle, the direct participation of those in it.

So-- we have the conceit of a "free" society that we know has been disassembled by criminals and yet we still pretend that somehow the fairy tale of freedom protects us................................................................................................

WE are responsible to safeguard our freedoms.

The quote is a reminder of a time-- not that long ago-- that the nation in general KNEW that.

[genie_weenie]

12. I simply disagree.

The "Nation" in general never KNEW that. Certain segments of society controlled the government in the past and things have not changed.

Criminals (even some who thought they were Paragons of Virtue Justice and Freedom) have always run the Government and will do so long into the future.

I heartily concuur with your statement "WE are responsible to safeguard our freedoms." That's what makes the history of the US much more depressing.

[omega minimo]

13. I don't mean that it permeated the nation except in the sense that

a generalized sense of nationhood and personal investment/responsibility was in the air during the 60's and 70's-- heightened civil rights and social awareness layered on top of the basic education and personal memories at the time of what it meant to be an American.

I agree with you: "Certain segments of society controlled the government in the past and things have not changed."

The hippies and progressives (and folks who lived through the Depression and WWII) of the time had a better understanding of:

(from OP) However, the essence and the principle of RFK’s quote and the free society he is invoking is that we EMBODY that essence and principle in our daily lives-- how we live, how we treat others, how we empower ourselves and our community, how we keep in mind the big picture while attending to the up close and personal.

Some of them morphed into yuppies and parents and some of them took a long nap and just woke up again. DU doesn't have much to say about a continuation of awareness (political, etc.) from that time to this..........

Your profile lists you as a Gen-Xer so it's likely your memory of that time would be very young, if you were around then. Your impression of the era and the "nation in general" may depend on what kind of family you had.

:hi:

[omega minimo]

14. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF USING THE WORD "RESPONSIBILITY" IN THE OP

:yoiks: :hi:

[alfredo]

15. Come join the Precinct-level Politics Group so we can learn from

each other on how take part and make a difference.

[omega minimo]

16. Linked here. Good luck and thanks alfredo

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=382

:thumbsup: :kick:

[alfredo]

17. Getting involved is rewarding on many levels.

You are doing a lot more that your patriotic duty, you become part of a very dynamic community.


Tonight I handed out some invitations to a Democratic political picnic. I was outside the theater showing An Inconvenient Truth. Signed up some volunteers for DFA too. One of the persons at the viewing was Rep Ben Chandler. He does some things I don't like, but I do like him as a person. We had a good talk about the event I was promoting. We are looking for one high profile figure to come speak at our event. I asked Rep Chandler if he'd put in a word for us. He said he would.

[Ezra the Prankster]

18. I've often wondered...

What if a majority of the people all voted to leave all decision making up to the government? Well for one thing, they'd be in trouble, but what if that's what a majority of the people wanted?

I'm sure President Bush has done more to attract people to Anarchism than anyone else in history. With our two-party system so firmly entrenched and so unable to serve the people anymore, the only way anyone can actively participate in our political system anymore is to get outside the system and start finding ways to make civilization function better independantly of government.

"Anarchism-- Putting the "Two" back in "Two Party System".

[omega minimo]

19. How would that help?

What about the option of doing the work it takes to make this system work?