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Voter apathy and its impact on democracy and many other things we old dear has cast a dark shadow. We see this as Christmas 2008 recedes into the past. Boxes and wrapping paper lay scattered over the landfills or stuffed into recycle bins. Christmas trees stacked in piles await the mulcher. And like a farewell to an old friend, we're left with a touch of sadness. But this Christmas seemed different. The gloom of a sinking economy hung over us like the gray blanket of winter itself. The season took on a pallor void of any hint of the rosy cheeks of bull markets long past. The chill of languishing 401ks crept deep into our bones. We were grumpy at the gas pump, the tire store, and the discount outlets. Melancholy crept across the frozen streets like an icy fog.

We seemed to be living Dickinson's winter of despair. Stung by bailouts, meltdowns, layoffs, and shutdowns, we staggered shell shocked through the rubble of a disintegrating economy. Not long ago, we cheered our Olympic athletes in all the splendor China could energize with its vast wealth. Now, even Asian appetites for growth and expansion seem to weary. Signature industries teeter on the edge of existence. Financial gurus have fallen victim to their own hubris. Homes devalue. Incomes decay. Happiness has passed us by.

Deep inside, however, many still hold out hope. Like a desperate stock broker with one last hot tip, millions bet their dreams on one man to lead them to salvation. (Two thousand years ago, a smaller number had the same hope. But their hero came not to bring a new economy or government by force or revolution. Instead, he came to burn happiness permanently into their hearts. And he's still trying.)

Today, many pin their hopes on another man and his hand-picked minions. Then they'll sit back and let Barack Obama and his team fix everything. That's what they expect of their elected leaders. Effectively removing themselves from their civic obligations, they'll leave oversight and regulation of financial institutions to someone else. They'll entrust the safe-keeping of their civil rights to unelected lawyers. They'll pass lawmaking and other mundane administrative exercises over to legislative assistants, lobbyists, and special interests. They'll assign their defense to underpaid, poorly-equipped, and mistreated soldiers. Then, four years from now, when President Obama fails, they'll run to the polls to replace him.

But we can never forget that man (or woman) never fails to disappoint. Instead, we need to pull ourselves up by our collective bootstraps and not rely solely on one small group of mere flesh and bone. In short, we need to get involved in the process and function, finally, as the envisioned "We the people."

In the distant past, we didn't rely on the government to take care of us. We struggled together through revolution, civil war and international wars, and economic upheaval. But the ultimate prosperity made us flabby and complacent. We lost touch with our guiding principles. We forgot the path that led us were we are. It's time to renew the struggle, shoulder the sacrifice, and push this country forward. Together.

Learn more about this author, Daniel Sisk.
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