America was created because the people did not feel that their voices where being heard.This hand over the people’s mouths is what sparked the flame in the hearts of our American Forefathers. These flames inspired the people to stifle the single voice who governed them, by overwhelming it with their own. America was founded on a system, which can only work if its people are involved. In the beginning the American voice could be heard all around the world, people from other countries eagerly flocked here so that they could join in with the loud chant,which said we have a voice! Many Americans have died to ensure the safety of this right to have a voice. This voice of reason defines how the American people are free, but in order for all the people to be heard everyone needs to participate. This voice is what fuels the American political system. Sadly, over the years this loud chant has turned into a whisper, and the founding traditions have begun to fade into history like the fall of an ancient empire.

Does this mean that Americans just do not care anymore? What can be done to inspire the political voices of the American people again? To answer these questions I looked to the article “Civic Engagement,” by Thomas Ehrlich a “Senior Scholar at The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Distinguished University Scholar at California State University.” He is also a founding board member of the “National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.” I also looked to the advice of our current President Barack Obama.

So have the American people lost their passion for the need to be heard? In his article Ehrlich explains the decline in political process is not due to a lack of wanting to help, but because people have lost faith in the political systems ability to help get the job done.

He tells us:

"Too often they fail to understand that if they want not only to assist at a community kitchen, but also to help eliminate the need for that kitchen, then they must work to change public policy, and that politics, in one form or another is the primary vehicle in American democracy for perfecting public policy."

I agree with Ehrlich that people are disillusioned with the politics in America. The problem is the system is not broke; it just lacks the steam to move the political train up the hill to Washington. The first step in moving this seemingly unmovable train is to provide the fuel for the fire (the American people's voices), which is used to heat the water used to produce the scolding steam that will disinfect the corrupt Washington political process we have become so accustomed to. This means you have to get involved with public policy on a personal level; otherwise, all your work is used up trying to push the train up the hill with your own two hands. How can you ensure the people you are voting for will represent you unless you are involved in the process which schools them on your needs? Barack Obama the American President, who inspired so many to vote for the first time, explains the solution to our political problems in the simplest of terms.

President Obama informs us:

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

Ehrlich tells us:

“Our democracy depends on an informed and engaged citizenry, one that acquires the knowledge and skills needed to become politically involved and then participates actively.”

So the real question is, how do we inspire the American people to use their political voices again? Ehrlich looks to his collages to help make the change.

Ehrlich explains that:

“If American democracy is to live up to its ideals, we must have a sustained public dialogue on the public purposes of higher education, particularly on how to best to educate future generations of the responsible and engaged citizens.”

Ehrlich looks to teaching techniques, which he feels will help to motivate the American youth to become civically engaged. He outlines a course studies called “Service Learning”, a curriculum closely linked to community service, which helps students connect to their community in a hands on way.

Ehrlich says:

"Service Learning offers students opportunities to explore the relationship between their academic learning and their civic values and commitments.”

I agree also that Service Learning courses are very important and a great motivational tool we as Americans should use to educate the youth on how to get involved. Service Learning if utalized correctly will definitely be essential to bringing about an educated positive change in America.

Democrat or Republican both parties are corrupted, and Americans should have better choices for representatives than we currently have had the opportunities to vote for. The lobbyists run our country, because they are the only ones who are overwhelmingly involved in the schooling process of our representatives on their needs. People want change; they just have never been educated on how to bring about this change. During the most recent election record numbers of youth showed up to vote. This is the first step to “Civic Engagement,” by voting ones voice is heard. The interest in politics has been sparked, for the first time for many, because many people now know what it means to be American. This right to voice our opinion has been over looked for quit sometime. People have forgotten the importance of being heard as well as the proper place to voice our opinions, so that positive change will come about. Now that the spark has been cast it should be tended to with care. It is the responsibility of the informed to help educate people on the importance of being involved with our nation’s politics.

For far too long many have turned the other cheek to the problems of society. Americans are not looking at the big picture and seeing how it will affect them in the future. If this plea to have Americans get involved is heeded to, our government would do a one eighty. As a result the voice’s of the people would once again be heard. If Educators can instruct the youth on the importance to not only vote, but show them the importance of getting involved on a more personal level with politics; I believe the spark could grow into a flame, a flame that would warm the hearts of America, which in turn would burn down and cleans the corrupted Washington politics we are all so disillusioned with. Change will come from the people who stop complaining about our problems at the kitchen table and who start informing the American Government how we would like to be represented; we as Americans need to stop sitting at home and waiting for the corrupt representatives of our government to make our decisions for us. It’s time to get involved!

Work Cited:

Thomas Ehrlich. “Civic Engagement.”

Measuring Up 2000. Unknown. 01/25/2007

< http://measuringup.highereducation.org/2000/articles/ThomasEhrlich.cfm>

Barack Obama. “Speech”

D.N.C. 08/28/2008. 01/28/2009

< http://www.notable-quotes.com/o/obama_barack.html>