Falcon will hold a vote for incorporation on Memorial Day weekend. By the time this editorial is published, the votes will already be tallied. Who knew? Who cared? Who was around to vote? The result is moot, really, because everyone in Falcon will have lost something more important than incorporation. What they will lose is an exercise in the true democratic process ñ a public discourse on the facts for and against incorporation.One could argue that we had a choice. Certainly the leaders for and against incorporation will give you their opinion – ad noisome. You can visit their Web sites and go to their meetings as well – if you can find out where they are and when they’re held. But, here’s the real question, citizens of Falcon: How many of you really knew that this was going on or had the chance to care? If you are like me, you work a 9-10 hour day, spend time for your family, and strive to stay informed through the Gazette, New Falcon Herald and any one of the news channels on the television. While it’s not possible to be engaged on every issue, it is very possible to measure the amount of real, factual debate being held on an issue that will affect your lives. It is possible to observe whether the basic tenets of a democratic process are being practiced in your town. And if not, it is possible, to demand answers from your elected officials or make darn sure they don’t ever represent you again.Elected officials and those who stand to represent an issue should remember that discourse, debate, listening (as well as speaking) are foundational democracy. Regarding incorporation, democracy in Falcon doesn’t stand a chance if there’s no up or down vote in either a referendum or a general election. Anything less than a vote by Falcon residents is a sham – a group of elites dictating your future for you, whether they are for or against incorporation (or any issue for that matter). Look in the mirror, for none of us are innocent. If we are too busy, ambivalent, or apathetic, we have only ourselves to blame. Ultimately, we will get dogmatic, stubborn representatives and corporately minded representation in Falcon. We will not get a government of the people, but a few people shoving their version of the government in your face.Incorporation and the War in Iraq share a few interesting parallels. Whether you are for or against the war, I believe we recall the steps of how we got there. We heard the speeches, believed we saw evidence of weapons of mass destruction. We watched domestic and international government bodies meet and agree to war. We watched, but we made little real protest from the fall of 02 to the winter of 2003. After the fact, we see where we are, and many in America resent the choice, the war, and the consequences. We like to pass the blame to a lot of people, but in the end – blame yourself. Hindsight is 20/20. Looking back, what will we say about our demands for more debate, more choice, better elected officials in Falcon? What will we come to regret next because we expect so little from those leading us in Falcon. You get what you vote for. You get out of it what you put into it. Having said that, it appears democracy is working just fine in our town.
