When Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government had been produced at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, his response was, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Franklin’s hopes have been dashed. Apathy, cynicism and divisiveness characterize our twenty-first century polity. Consumerism and “selfie” individualism have become our prime cultural values. Too many Americans have apparently lost any sense of social responsibility to participate as politically active citizens.
Our history is filled with inspiring narratives about mass movements and their heroes that fought to expand political and economic democracy. All we have today are dead-end outbursts of protest and groups organizing separately for their own agendas. Participants in those past movements had courage and took risks. Now we have cowards hunched over computer keyboards.
