By HDN staff
It seems that all too often the people who possess the promise of democratic rights are the ones who use those rights the least. Take for instance the continuous number of voters who never show up at the polls, then become the first to gripe and grumble when they feel neglected by the democratic system. If 50 percent of the registered population showed up at polls to vote, it would be considered a good election.
Our own city election this week brought out fewer than 8 percent of the registered voters to the polls.
On the other hand, there are those citizens who use the democratic system for the purpose to which it was intended: a platform to voice an opinion, to make positive change and to ensure the continuation of domestic peace and tranquility.
Such a group recently rose from the masses to defend a cause it deemed as worthy. Unhappy with the choices made by state and local government, the Friends of Beaver Creek organized from the bottom up, one member at a time, to represent what it sees as the unheard and overlooked population of Hill County and the surrounding area.
Strictly volunteer, the grass roots citizens group is not bound to the auspices of a certain party, and it caters to no interest other than its own cause, which, as the Friends of Beaver Creek puts it, is quite simple: to monitor and develop alternatives to road and fence construction in Beaver Creek Park.
Where complaints are too common in the walk of everyday life, it is refreshing to see a group of citizens who care enough about a certain topic to come together in an effort to make a difference. There is strength in numbers, and even if their cause proves unsuccessful in the end, their effort to guide our free democracy will have rewards that find fruition in other ways. Be it a single, subtle change to plans for the park, or the success of a major overhaul, either way, the citizens group makes gains, at least in a sense of pride if nothing else.
A democracy contains more than the officials we elect to represent us. It is also a continuous effort by the whole of society, and we are fortunate to have a role to play, greasing the gears, so to speak, as progress and change grind forward.
Although we have not taken sides on the issue, we would like to congratulate the Friends of Beaver Creek for taking part in government and encourage them also to participate in the advisory committee process set up by the Hill County Commissioners.
