Have you noticed national politics are more like professional wrestling than ever?

When even city councils are signing NDA’s that shield the names of the Big Tech companies about to make generational impacts on a small town, it can make you doubt if we have any democracy left at all. Division, hypocrisy, politicians controlled by money, and the extremes on either side of the coin can cause many Americans to tune out of politics altogether. “Let others fight in the gutter,” you might say.

But the truth is that throughout history, our government has never been perfectly representative of our wishes. And it never will be.

Good government and a healthy society ebbs and flows. It is a united, strong, self-sufficient populace that is the only perpetual defense against those, left or right, that try to use government power in tyrannical ways.

We still do have freedom.

We must own it and use it now, or we will lose it quickly.

Self-government can only be a participation sport. It does not work as a spectator sport.

America was founded on principles of subsidiarity which means laws and governing decisions should always be made at the lowest, most local level possible, rather than by a central authority. The trend has been away from that, which feeds our division. This further empowers whoever is currently on top in D.C. or St. Paul. This is why every subsequent election is labeled “the most important election in our lifetime!”

Citizenship is much more than just voting and paying taxes.

Being a volunteer firefighter, a teacher, a peace officer, starting a business, shoveling an elderly neighbor’s sidewalk, volunteering as a youth sports coach, tutoring a young student, taking care of yourself so that the government can take care of the truly needy, working in a service profession caring for others, obeying the law, not defrauding anyone... these can all be even more important than voting.

None who seek public office are angels. If too many Americans don’t vote or engage in politics, we cede that ground to those most ambitious for power over you.

This does not mean you have to give up strong convictions that you share with people on the left or the right.  We can and should work for justice as we see it. There are some issues where we can have a healthy compromise.  On other issues compromise is wrong.  Either way, representative democracy and localized decision making is the best way to co-exist while broader society works out our differences.

If we want freedom, we all must be a part of building our future.

Yes, please vote for me.

But your increased political and civic engagement is more important than me getting elected this fall because there are so many more of you.