Political Affiliations: Is Our Party System Working?

Blind faith deserves no place in our political system, nor does hard line party affiliation that includes being "all in" on the party's stance on all issues. This sort of behavior cannot be what our founding fathers intended and it does a great disservice to their honor. It also paints us, the citizens, as sheep: unable or unwilling to think for ourselves, ignorant of the issues, and happier following as we are led than putting thought and effort into our own futures.

Blind faith at any place in life is, at best, a shaky stance. Introducing it into politics has in the past led to great tragedies of justice, and the assumption that existence in a democratic society makes us immune is a dangerous one. Our political system deals with mere mortals, men and women who are fallible and capable of errors; men and women capable of corruption. Everyone has heard the saying "all that is needed for evil to triumph is for enough good men to do nothing"; what is blind faith in the party if not good people doing nothing?

Our government was set up as a democracy to give control to the many, not the few. We were granted a 3-part system to ensure that there would be checks and balance, to ensure that no one gets out of control. All of this was carefully crafted to avoid what our founders had seen in the past - control in the hands of a few leads to a lack of justice for the masses.

It is highly irresponsible of us - not to mention disrespectful of the gift they tried to give - to place all the control back in the hands of the few by showing unquestioning allegiance to a party's platform. All it takes is enough of us not to speak up with our opinions to let an opinion go completely unrepresented. Perhaps that is a sign that the issue is irrelevant to us - so be it, then our system is truly working. When it is not irrelevant though, to go along with the ideas of another, either against our own, or without deciding our own, is to set the system of social justice aside.

It may be easy to take the view that these party leaders have a better vision of the big picture, because, of course, they do. That is not a good reason to follow without question. Following someone's ideas without first determining how we feel about those ideas is lazy at best. It makes a mockery of all that our political system is supposed to be and wastes the rights given to us.

We need not be sheep. There is no reason for it; we are better than that. Our world and our country are becoming increasingly complex, and things are rarely if ever black and white. Declaring a party affiliation and working to support your party are admirable things. Loyalty is a wonderful thing. Questioning yourself, and being led by your morals, rather than your politicians, is an even greater thing. With so many politicians of both parties voting and acting not on strict party lines, but on their conscience and their voters' opinions, is it not time for the rest of us to do the same? Vote the issues, or risk your vote being wasted on someone whose stance does not match your beliefs.