Great Society

[H2O Man]

2. Right.

You are exactly right: we, as citizens, have both rights and responsibilities. I frequently talk about the rights as defined by the Bill of Rights. But equally important are the responsibilities, and they are found in both the "main body" of the Constitution, and in all of its amendments. We play a role, and the level to which we exercise those rights and responsibilities is the exact level of life our Constitutional Democracy shall have.

Your post reminds me of a sociological concept on personalities. It has to do with the individual's belief in his/her locus of control. People with an external locus of control believe that their life is decided primarily by outside influences; they view themselves as the victims of circumstance. People with an internal locus of control recognize that while they cannot control all events in their lives, they are capable of influencing those events much of the time.

The first type believes that a heroic politician can change the course of the United States. They are not unlike those who await the Second Coming. The second type doesn't believe in super heroes; they recognize and accept that they have both rights and responsibilities in their personal, family, and community life; and they understand that there is an internal, psychological evolution that has been described by both the socio-political geniuses and mystics, that can bring about meaningful change in human society.

No one else can do it for us. It's entirely up to us. And it's that simple.