In a COMMENTARY article written by Lee Hamilton, Center on Representative Government, and published by the Enterprise on Feb 10th, he explains, “Citizens today carry an extra burden – not merely to pick a politician we might favor for some reason, but to make choices that move us away from ideology and our own biases, and toward getting this country running again.” This is a huge responsibility, and a citizen must have an understanding of how government is set up, what the responsibilities of a government are, and what citizens can do to make changes? These kinds of questions were answered in our high school civics class, but for some of us, it has been a long time since we were in civics class.
One remedy to this quandary is civic engagement which is vital to keeping our democracy healthy:
Sign up for the Community Education Class: Becoming an Engaged Citizen (What citizens need to know about their government)
Thursdays from March 1 to March 22. Classes will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Frank White Education Center. Carolynne White and Barb Wiebesick of the League of Women Voters Park Rapids will lead the classes.
There will be 4 sessions:
Session I: will provide an overview
- of the Constitution,
- of voting procedures and safeguards to voting procedures,
- of political parties and campaigns.
Session II: will cover
- “fake news/ basic fact” checking
- skills for effectively communicating with government officials (petitions, letters, emails, etc).
Session III will cover the legislative process from the federal to the local level.
Session IV will wrap up with
- explanations of local boards, commissions and councils
- how a citizen can get involved.
Register by calling 218-237-6600 or go to www.parkrapidscomed.com.
