Caring about your government isn’t just about voting on election day and giving an opinion when asked.
You should know what your opinion means. There is a reason the Constitution says “We The People.”
It means not to lie down and let people run you over with government.
When you give up or don’t care about what is happening in government, you hand over your life to a few people who should never ever have that kind of power over you. And now, two weeks after the government shutdown, we have to let our representatives know we won’t take it anymore.
It is important to tell your government officials if you think they are wrong, right, out of line and/or slow. They are elected to make decisions that represent you.
Is that what they are doing right now? Are they representing you?
When informed by you, they are more likely be held accountable if they do not make the decisions they were elected to make.
To question and debate is a good thing. Right now your government is shut down. How do you feel about that? Do you know why? Is it something you can do anything about and why do you think that way?
Talk about it with your friends. Discuss it with your neighbors. Ask people you respect for their opinions.
Chat with other students and co-workers. It will help you sort out how you feel. Most importantly, discuss it with your government.
Some people think their votes don’t count. Right now, they do. In a deadlock situation, the more information elected officials have from the public, the better.
Write Congress and tell them what you think and how you feel. It is important.
Writing government doesn’t necessarily take a lot of time. In fact, when writing a government official, the shorter the better. Getting what you want to say within a few lines to a paragraph will get the most attention, but if you can’t, write them anyway.
Congress.gov will link you to your elected officials.
Remember, it is your government and you should care. You have the power to be heard, so say something.