Opinion: The Importance of Feeling Heard

Aristotle once said, "Let us first understand the facts and then we may seek the cause." To be sure, facts have been taking a beating lately, and we are virtually all to blame. Whether you're a yellow dog Dem, an Independent, a never-Trumper, an always-Trumper, or just plain tired and don't care anymore, our country deserves a fighting chance to remain a functioning republic as intended by the founding fathers. You remember them – those brilliant, yet flawed men who wanted to form a more perfect union. And they set it up pretty well, as it has withstood foreign wars and civil war, Reconstruction, civil rights, equal rights, blind ambition, and now insularity.

I can give you platitudes about the need to vote; how an educated and enlightened populace is the foundation of self-governance; and why nation should not lift up sword against nation; but I'd rather tell you a story.

It's about three construction workers who begin each day at six in the morning on the new hospital wing and take their morning break, socially distanced, in the hospital cafeteria. There, in front of the wall-mounted screen announcing breaking news, they debate one another on the issues with amazing acuteness and command of the facts – real, substantiated facts. But when asked the last time they voted, each was vague and somewhat embarrassed. How do we motivate people to vote, since, as we know, "not to decide is to decide."

My thesis is that inspiring people to vote is done by showing them that those who are elected are not only listening but are actually doing their job as mandated by the Constitution. That means each branch of government is balanced to check the other branches, and that the results are evident. When was the last time you wrote to your Congressman? More importantly, when did your Congressman respond with other than a form letter or vapid reasoning?

Some members of Congress will point out that their opinion surveys and virtual town halls yield meager feedback. But there is no doubt that there is a paucity of objective, rather than political, vetting of the issues by Congress and little to combat the impression that votes are explained more by adhering to moneyed access than listening to actual voters. While we might not have a one-to-one representative democracy, we could at the very least strive to live up to the constitutional republic that we were formed to be.

A step toward an effective United States Congress is by eliminating safely gerrymandered districts, so there is a direct correlation between the needs of the electorate and the results of a Congressman's vote – a vote that necessarily takes into consideration the views of all members of the electorate and balances them in a thoughtful manner. And think of the boost to morale (and voter turnout) of an objectively drawn geographical district that enables all voters to be listened to and truly heard. If you start with that leg of the three-legged stool, the other two will fall into place, just as the framers intended. There is elegant reasoning behind the structure of Articles I, II, and III of the Constitution – the legislative, the executive, and the judicial, with the core emanating from "We the People."

Back to the construction workers. After their break and before returning to the building of America, I remarked on their excellent debating skills. I observed or imagined a glimmer of empowerment in their eyes over masked faces. There are so many enlightened people in this country, and all they need is a reason to feel that their voice matters. Let's give it to them.

Sandra Nicolas is an attorney and writer in Austin.

The Chronicle welcomes submissions of opinion pieces on any topic from the community. Find guidelines and tips at austinchronicle.com/contact/opinion.