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Democracy is a way of life. It’s not just about documents or governments; it’s about the things we do every day that contribute to society and make it a better place to live. By the People will examine the day-to-day actions that create a democratic way of life. In true democratic fashion, we invite you to join the discussion and share your own experiences as a citizen.

We Said We’d All Go Down Together

— By Stephen Kaufman, 25 June 2009

(I’m listening to “Goodnight Saigon” by Billy Joel)

In a remote corner of a Texas airport, a short, angry man in a camouflage uniform and big brown hat suddenly began screaming. “All right you maggots, shut up! My god — you all are the sorriest excuses for airmen I’ve ever seen. Now form ranks and get on the bus! Now!!”

No, I silently told myself. It is not a bad dream. I really had enlisted in the military and was now on my way to basic training at Lackland Air Force base near San Antonio. After six weeks, I officially became an Airman and would later return to my Air National Guard unit in Baltimore, Maryland.

The United States has not conscripted the members of its armed forces since 1973, during the era of the Vietnam conflict. Every male American between 18 and 25 still has to register for the selective service just in case there is a decision to resume the draft. But despite the U.S. military activities in Afghanistan and Iraq, neither Republican nor Democratic Party leaders have shown much interest in taking that step.

In my bunk bed, after arranging my issued uniforms and gear and shining my boots as perfectly as I could manage, I thought about the 30 or so other members of my “flight” and why they had volunteered. Many were like me. I had wanted training and expertise to help me find a better job. Others did not have enough money to attend a university and knew the military would pay for their education once their four year contact was finished. And others simply did not know what to do once their high school was finished, but were ready for new sights and experiences away from the towns and neighborhoods where they had grown up.

We came from all over the country - the suburbs of New Jersey, downtown New Orleans, and farms in Nebraska. Our flight consisted of blacks, whites, Hispanics and Asians, and we made fun of each others’ accents when the training instructors weren’t around.

But, at the same time, we did not represent all of the United States. There were no Harvard or Yale graduates in our officer corps, and I never met the son or daughter of a political or business leader while I was enlisted. The debate over conscription in the United States resurfaces occasionally because of the argument that the military is not truly representative of the country. But others maintain that enlistment should remain a personal choice.

What do you think? Is there conscription in your country? Do you think it is fairer when everyone is required to serve or when the decision is left to up the individuals?
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Mmmm…Cookies

— By Michelle Austein Brooks, 24 June 2009

I like cookies. Chocolate chip, peanut butter – pretty much any (except ones with raisins, I hate raisins.)

I also like persistent cookies. A persistent cookie, as the White House explains, is “a small piece of software that tracks or authenticates web viewing activities by the user.” A 2000 federal law prohibits use of cookies on U.S. government Web sites. The goal of the law is to protect Americans’ privacy, to ensure that the U.S. government is not tracking citizens’ personal Web use.

But, as the White House wrote in its blog, “in the nine years since this was put in place, website cookies have become more mainstream as users want sites to recognize their preferences or keep track of the items in their online shopping carts.”

I, like most Americans, value my right to privacy. But in the Internet age, I have come to accept that by having an online identity, I am choosing to make more and more personal information available. When I log into Amazon.com, it knows with remarkable accuracy what products I may be interested in buying. When I was planning my wedding, Facebook knew it – and showed me lots of advertisements for bridal products. Cookies help Web sites do this.

Is it necessarily bad for governments to be able to do the same? Couldn’t it be helpful for citizens if their governments could see what people were searching for? It could help them better provide information.

The Obama administration is reviewing the cookies law, and I’m eager to see what happens.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

by the people

We Said We’d All Go Down Together

Mmmm…Cookies

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