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| Her Voice / Elizabette Guecamburu |
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| Written by Elizabette Guecamburu - Hometown Girl / | |
| Friday, 02 May 2008 | |
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The fall of the republic Sometimes I fear idealism is a curse — a burden that can weigh on the soul when things don’t turn out the way we feel they should.  Elizabette Guecamburu / Hometown Girl I find myself in such a predicament now, disheartened and disillusioned — two emotions that, as an idealist, I loathe to feel. And, this time, I have the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors to thank. We live in a democratic republic, one where we elect officials to look after our best interests and follow our wishes. These officials are our representatives; stewards — not owners — of the democratic cause. As stewards, they owe us their diligence and a ready ear to listen to the voices of their constituents. But, I wonder, how many voices needed to cry out in outrage for the board of supervisors to listen on the West Park proposal? Hundreds weren’t enough, would it take thousands? The word “democracy” was coined by the Greeks around 500 B.C. to describe their system of government. “Democracy” literally translates to “rule by the people.” Those ancient Greeks must have been idealists, too, for they expected their elected officials actually to listen to them. In fact, elected officials did not independently determine decisions in Athens. Giving decision-making power to elected officials was thought to take away the power of the people, making the state an “oligarchy” — a society “ruled by the few.” I can’t help but feel we’ve let down our Greek ancestors, by muddling the system they began. Would they see the board of supervisors’ decision on the West Park proposal as an example of democratic principles? Or would they feel we’re being ruled by the whims of the few? I think I have a fairly good idea of how the ancient Greeks would feel on the matter. In fact, the philosopher Aristotle said, “If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost.” He wouldn’t have approved of citizens being shut out of the political process, either. Aristotle must have been an idealist, too. Elizabette Guecamburu was born and raised in Patterson.
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