Candidate for
Trustee; Fremont-Newark Community College District; Area 2, Seat 7

DEMOCRACY-

I have long beleived that involing the public in the democratic process is central to our being American. We have the freedom of speech, of the press, to bear arms, of assembly, of association and the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, the one right we as a nation most overlook, is the right to vote.

For some reason, more than just not having enough time to read up on the issues, read the newpaper or watch the evening news, we as a nation are getting more and more apathetic about the democratic process and being a part of democracy as a voter.

More than any other thing we can do as citizens of the United States of America, voting is the most powerful weapon we have at our disposal to keep our government from getting out of touch with the people. We the people, are in charge, we just elect people to government positions to represent us.

We live in a representative democracy and if we as a nation don't start exercising our right to vote, our nation will increasingly be run by and controlled by fewer and fewer people. That's not majority rule, nor is that America.

One of the ways we can change this growing trend of staying away from the polls is education. We need to strengthen our government classes in K-12 and add requirements at the college level. We need citizens who are not only literate in reading, writing, science and math, but government as well. A healthy democracy demands its.