[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 7005-7006]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MAH-RULCH MUHAMMAD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 16, 2012

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to interact with some of the 
brightest students in the 22nd Congressional District who serve on my 
Congressional Youth Advisory Council. I have gained much by listening 
to the high school students who are the future of this great Nation. 
They provide important insight into the concerns of our younger 
constituents and hopefully get a better sense of the importance of 
being an active participant in the political process. Many of the 
students have written short essays on a variety of topics and I am 
pleased to share these with my House colleagues.
  Mah-rulch Muhammad is a senior at Clements High School in Fort Bend 
County, Texas. Her essay topic is: In your opinion, why is it important 
to be involved in the political process?

       The importance of participating in the political system is 
     directly related to one of our key goals as a country: to 
     ensure and preserve democracy. While the interpretation of 
     democracy varies in everyone's individual perceptions, the 
     main idea is the same: government by the people.
       In other words, in a democratic society, the public has an 
     active voice in influencing public policy and decisions. Only 
     through effective participation, however, is it possible for 
     this to happen. The final decisions end up affecting the 
     public, so it is important that they speak up and make sure 
     their voices are heard. Only when the people are involved in 
     the political process can their needs be addressed by today's 
     leaders, and consequently be put into public policy.
       The policies that are eventually enacted and integrated 
     into our society primarily affect the public. Therefore, the 
     public ought to have a say in the process, as true democratic 
     principles outline. This right does not come into place, 
     however, if proper action and self input is not inserted. 
     There are many options available for the public to be 
     involved in the political process, such as voting, donating 
     to campaigns, or joining interest groups. When people fail to 
     use the options of political participation before them, they 
     are slowly taking power out of their own hands, inviting the 
     ability for the nation's liberties to be taken away.
       Every individual is unique and lives under different 
     circumstances. Income, race, gender, and opinions vary 
     greatly from person to person. Due to this factor, it would 
     be impossible for a certain select number of people from one 
     majority to vote during elections for policies that they 
     support, and have these votes reflect the nation's 
     inclination. The idea that policies favor a select few does 
     not seem fair, and leans towards the idea that we are fading 
     away from the idea of democracy. The numbers of those who 
     lack participation in the political process add up and create 
     a hole in how much today's government reflects the will of 
     the people.
       Being involved in the government is an inherent part of 
     democracy in that it places the individual into the political 
     process. If the public separates itself, and does not allow 
     its concerns to be addressed, then the problems that the 
     everyday citizen faces won't be fixed. If one's concerns are 
     ignored, then it creates a feeling of apathy within the 
     nation towards the government for not addressing their needs. 
     All of this would be the result of a simple communicational 
     gap. The public's involvement in the political process is the 
     key to closing the gap between themselves and the government. 
     Once that gap is connected, we are one step closer to 
     democracy. It is important that everybody is involved in the 
     political process, given that

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     every individual's opinion matters and makes up the viewpoint 
     of the nation as a whole.

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