By Sara J.
Due to our current political climate, I believe the concept of representation in the United States is increasingly disconnected from reality, so I believe direct action for change arises. Despite the foundational premise of democracy - government “by the people,” a growing sense of disillusionment pervades in this country as many elected representatives seem out of touch with the will of their constituents. I, among many other Americans, care about foreign policy and climate change. Across these issues and many others, instances occur where governmental actions diverge sharply from public sentiment, undermining the fundamental principles of democracy.
For example, the stark dissonance between public opinion and governmental actions on issues like U.S. support for Israel’s genocide against Palestinians underscores a profound failure of representation. According to a recent Gallup poll, 55% of Americans disapprove of the military action in Gaza, while 36% approve. Despite this disapproval rate, U.S. policies continue to provide significant support and funding to Israel, raising questions about whose interests are truly being served by elected officials. This was further shown in Minnesota and neighboring state Michigan, where, as reported by the Sahan Journal, over 100,000 Michigan voters submitted an “uncommitted” ballot in their primaries, and 20% of Minnesotans who voted on Super Tuesday opted for “uncommitted.”
Similarly, the issue of climate change further underscores the shortcomings of representation in our democracy. Despite widespread public and experts’ support for strong and urgent measures to mitigate the effects of climate change, governmental actions fall short of the transformative change necessary. Although the Biden administration has passed some positive climate change legislation, the administration has also passed the Willow Project, an $8billion ConocoPhillips oil drilling operation on federally protected land in Alaska. Needless to say, that is very counterproductive. Decisions as such not only disregard public sentiment, but also prioritize short-term economic interests over long-term environmental sustainability, undermining the principles of democratic governance.
Confronted with the failure of traditional avenues of civil discourse to effectuate meaningful change, I believe that a pressing imperative for proactive engagement beyond dialogue alone arises. I believe that using the democratic foundation of our country, which grants the rights to assembly and protest, is essential to restoring and fortifying our democratic system while ensuring elected officials are answerable to their constituents’ concerns. I believe I can organize community events and protests to push for systemic change and realign governmental priorities with the collective will of the people.
In conclusion, the disconnect between public sentiment and governmental actions on issues including foreign policy and climate change, shows that civil dialogue alone is not effective in this political landscape and therefore assembly and protests are necessary. A person whose story showed me that activism is necessary in situations like this is Greta Thunberg. When she was 15 years old, Greta Thunberg began her activism journey by protesting outside her country’s version of congress. Afterwards, she began leaving school every Friday to protest. Soon, classmates and friends learned about her activism and joined her. Now, many people protest with her in Sweden, their country, every Friday, while foreigners protest in their own country. They have yet to accomplish any legal action, but I believe with consistency, they eventually will. And so will I, when I join direct action.