THE BEACONS CREED (A Promise for Civic Integrity)

I believe democracy is not sustained by institutions alone,

but by the character of the people who participate in it.

I believe the right to vote is sacred,

not because it is granted by law,

but because it is earned by responsibility.

I believe my voice matters,

and so does the voice of every other citizen,

especially those with whom I disagree.

I will seek truth before opinion.

I will verify before I share.

I will think before I react.

I understand that freedom without responsibility

leads to chaos,

and responsibility without freedom

leads to oppression.

Democracy requires both.

I will listen before I judge.

I will listen to understand, not to defeat.

I will respect differences without surrendering principles.

I recognize that elections are not battles to be won,

but moments of collective decision

that shape the future of our nation.

I will honor the privacy of the ballot,

because secrecy protects courage

and preserves independence of thought.

I acknowledge that money, media, and influence

must never outweigh honesty,

and I will remain vigilant against distortion and manipulation.

I will treat voting not as a transaction,

but as an act of public service.

I will resist cynicism,

for cynicism weakens democracy more than disagreement ever could.

I will protect the dignity of citizenship,

in myself and in others.

I accept that democracy is imperfect,

not because it fails,

but because humans are imperfect.

Its strength lies in our willingness to improve it.

I choose to be a Beacon.

A Beacon of clarity in confusion.

A Beacon of honesty in noise.

A Beacon of responsibility in freedom.

A Beacon of listening in division.

A Beacon of courage in silence.

I will stand for truth without cruelty,

for justice without arrogance,

for participation without fear.

My vote is my voice.

My conduct is my legacy.

My integrity is my contribution.

This is my Creed.

This is my responsibility.

This is my light.

By David W. Wygant 

NOTE:  This "CREED" captures the content and spirit of the Voting Alert Beacons I started this blog in 2012, and it has spanned four Presidential elections and three midterm elections. Please give it and its contents serious time and reflection.

BEACONS OF LISTENING - The Responsibility for the Right to Free Speech

We desperately need a moment of national silence and reflection.  Silence should overwhelm, like a tsunami, the volume of our nasty and negative voices.  

Only when we hear with an ear that seriously and sincerely considers the possibility of change, are we truly listening.  We must have an open mind so that we can learn.  There is no progress without change, and the conscious effort to learn.  This approach and mindset supports two of our most basic and fundamental American virtues, honesty and public service.

What is the most important thing we can do to insure and preserve our right to free speech?  Listening is perhaps the most critical responsibility for preserving free speech.  What is free speech, really?  It is two things.  It is not only a right.  It also includes a responsibility to listen.

When do words become illegal?  When they are words uttered only for their own sake.  Our words should have a positive direction and force behind them.  They must simultaneously exercise and support our inalienable rights as articulated in the US Constitution.  We are 200+ million American voters.  When our collective voice calls us forward with a positive force, there is nothing we can’t accomplish.  Without this positive voice, there is little that we can accomplish.

Call to action 

There is a personal call to action here.  We should all hang a mirror in our minds and look in it often.  We should always see someone who is willing to listen.  Someone who thinks them not me.  This may seem counter intuitive, but this is the only way we can make personal progress and American progress.  This is the only way we can find personal happiness and happiness as a country.  

. . .  remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her.   America’s best days are ahead of her.  They always have been and always will be.

Dave

Copyright © 2019 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved.