Citizenship

In his opening remarks at The Rally to Restore Sanity in Washington Saturday, Jon Stewart suggested that the estimated 200,000 participants on the National Mall pick up after themselves and leave the grounds cleaner than they were before the rally. I was impressed. It seems to me that the sentiment in this remark is at the core of what it means to be a citizen in a democracy. We are all responsible for maintaining the health and well being of our nation.

Tomorrow is Election Day. Voting is not a sport or a game. It is certainly not meant to be a beauty contest. Voting is not just about backing the person who will give you what you want. Voting for the responsible citizen is an act of choosing the greater good for region or country by voting for the candidate whose ideals represent that greater good.

As a humanist, I judge the greater good simply by looking at human needs. Health care for all is a greater good. Safety in all neighborhoods and enforcing the rule of law are greater goods. Maintaining the safety of bridges and public spaces is a greater good. Reducing dependence on fossil fuels is a greater good. Making sure the elderly and disabled will have a decent quality of life is a greater good. Educating all citizens to their full capacity for learning is a greater good. Equal justice for all, without exception, is a greater good. Fostering peace and nonviolence in domestic and foreign policy is a greater good.

I will be voting by greater good tomorrow. I do not belong to a political party. I do not idolize any candidate. True freedom and justice for all is more important to me than belonging to any one team. That is my way of trying to leave this world a better place than it was when I arrived here.