The Choice Part I

"In a democracy, the most important office is the office of citizen."

Justice Louis Brandeis

Every citizen of this democracy has a vital choice to make.  Every generation proceeding has faced the same divergence and in every case made their choice with no small amount of pride and sacrifice.  Today, when choosing can influence the greatest amount of change, and affect the most people in the history of the United States, few will give it the consideration merited and fewer still will realize there is even a choice to be made.  While some argue that the choice is political and that your “vote” is necessary in order to be heard, others say that the political system is riddled with corruption and complacency and that “demonstration” or “revolution” is the greatest agent of change.

Both arguments hold merit, and both are faulted.  The truth is both surprisingly fundamental and yet infinitely more challenging.  The truth is in the choice.  The choice is this:

Take responsibility, or relinquish your right to choose.

Everyone’s choice will be different and will manifest in two ways:  how that person spends their time, and how they spend their money.  Although citizens still have partial rights regarding these disbursements, it would be naïve to believe that there is no external influence on how a person’s time and money are managed, and for those who do take responsibility, that their freedom to make a choice is not perpetually at stake. 

For Discussion:

1. With regards to the nature of economics, what does it mean to "take responsibility" as a citizen?
2. Is there a circumstance in which it's acceptable or necessary for a citizen to relinquish their right to choose?
3. What "influences" may have an undesired affect on how you spend your time and money?