The Power of Being a Citizen

Socrates taught an interesting point which has been long forgotten in our day. He said that public officials are unable to fight important battles to improve society because they are always limited by the political realities of staying in office, not losing influence, trying to impress others, and not becoming enemies to powerful interests and parties, among other things. 

Plato quotes him as saying: 

"...he who will really fight for the right...must have a private station and not a public one."

In the United States, fortunately, both public representatives and private citizens can stand up for what is right. 

One of my favorite paintings is the Norman Rockwell portrayal of the regular citizen standing to voice his views. Even though in the United States, as opposed to Athens in Plato's day, our public leaders can and should stand for what is right in our nation, it is still ultimately up to the citizens to do the same--to lead out in this process, in fact.

In our society we can stand for what we believe without resorting to violence or extreme methods of argument. If we don't make our influence felt, our freedoms are in danger. 

But we can be wise in how we use our influence and make our voices heard. Socrates addressed this too: 

"...zeal is invaluable, if a right one; but if wrong, the greater the zeal the greater the evil..." 

And since everyone generally considers himself right at the beginning of any discussion, we all need to:

1) be more moderate in our opinions and interactions

2) be more committed to really listening to other viewpoints

3) be more open to learning

4) be  more actively involved in making a positive difference