Spencer Schulz
For my political participation I helped Boulder Creek’s Politico club set up and host their second annual political panel. I did a bunch of different things, from handing out fliers for the voting drive, to brainstorming questions for the candidates, to actually hosting the panel, holding doors, greeting, etc. It was a lot better of an experience then I expected it to be, everyone was friendly and good natured about everything. Everyone had really good suggestions and was always trying to pitch in. I’m definitely glad that I chose to do my community service hours with Politico.
I’m not the kind of person who volunteers; I’ll admit that right off the bat. I have a life and I’m generally too busy even if I wanted to anyway. So I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be handed a piece of paper that says “I’m taking ten hours of your time and there’s nothing you can do about it”. I’m no stranger to community service; I was in the National Honor Society for two years and the National Junior Honor Society for a couple years before that. That’s over four-hundred plus hours of doing crap I really didn’t want to do. The majority of my volunteerism was spent volunteering and libraries and schools, cleaning, restocking, little chores. It was more boring than anything else. Eventually, a friend of mine convinced me to go work in a soup kitchen in downtown Phoenix, man, was that eye opening. You’ve seen people with nothing? Not up close you haven’t. I remember seeing the shame on a fathers face as he entered the building. He was explaining what the building was to his son, his son was asking why they were there, how do you tell your kid “I can’t feed you”?
Hosting a political panel seems a bit tame in comparison, but it’s important for a different reason. The United States holds regular, free, elections in order to ensure that a majority does not dominate a minority. A very important part of holding those elections is making sure you have informed voters. One of the reasons that is so important is that the less potential voters know about candidates, the less likely they are to actually come in to vote. So one of the missions of Politico was to make local voters as informed as possible. Politico goes about that by hosting an annual panel, where local candidates running for local positions come and speak about why they are running and what they are running for. I was a bit skeptical at first, to be honest. I didn’t think anyone would show up, but we actually had a pretty good turnout and I was happy with it. During the panel, as I watched everyone walk down the aisles and take their seats, I realized something. True, a lot of people wouldn’t come to the panel and don’t care. However, the people that do care and want to make a difference rely on Politico to allow them to spread their concerns and views. Isn’t that what politics are all about? Everyone getting their fair say? I think so. Anyone who wants the mike should be able to have the mike. In my opinion, Anthem would benefit greatly from some monthly town-hall style meetings.
Overall, I learned that little contributions really do make a difference, and providing services to even a small percentage of people is helping society as a whole. I learned that good ideas can come from anyone, and that you can’t judge a book by its cover. (I also received a fantastic jar opener). But, I think the most important thing was that I helped out in my community, more people should do it.
Civic duty is the obligation of citizens to provide for their country, just as their country provides for them. It’s sort of a hive mind action, everyone contributing a little bit to the greater good (Rau 66). Is it important? Yes, but not for the reason people think. People volunteering in and of itself is nice, but that’s a small impact compared to the difference their attitude makes. Volunteering makes you care about other people, plain and simple. People in need generally don’t volunteer; they are too busy fixing their own situation. So usually it’s the middle class who are helping out in their communities. They, as volunteers, help people that are less fortunate then themselves, people they wouldn’t have ordinary contact with. They realize “Hey, this guy isn’t so different from me”, the only difference is a paycheck. Volunteering makes people understand each other, it forces them to, they come out a little different then they came in, just a bit more compassionate, understanding, and happy.
People volunteer for all different sorts of reasons. A friend, a loved one, a catastrophe, something influences them. The average American probably doesn’t understand the importance or the rewards associated. They think they have something better to do in their time, or it’s not worth it. Well, they’re partially right because it’s not worth it. The reason volunteering is so rewarding is that you COULD be doing something better in your spare time. YOU are sacrificing, so it means something to you. Unlike before when it was an obligation.
People will argue about whether people should or should not help out in their communities. Some say everyone enjoys the benefits of the community, so everyone should participate in making it a better place. Others say it’s your duty as a human being to help others. And still others claim that they shouldn’t have to do anything. The problem is in getting people to realize that helping other people is more rewarding then their own self improvement. The majority of people are lazy and don’t care, but people do need help.
Some people look upon the needy and homeless as stupid, ignorant, people who dug themselves into their own hole. The truth is that all of them are all the victim of circumstance or our society(Strauss 77). Capitalism ensures that the best win and the worst lose. Someone’s got to be at the bottom, and generally it isn’t going to be their fault.
People are obligated to pitch in and help the collective good, but they are not forced. This means the system isn’t as effective as it could be. Even a simple quota of 2 hours of community service a month could do wonders. Of course, United States citizens will never be forced into community service, that would be extremely unconstitutional.
Some random bum
Rau, Erik. "Science, Money, and Politics (Book)." Technology & Culture 44.1 (2003): 199. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 2 Dec. 2010.
Gary, Strauss. "A little politcs, a lot of thank-yous." USA Today n.d.: Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 2 Dec. 2010.
