The Duties of Citizenship

- Katyana Jaidov, Publisher

"This is all just politics. That doesn't affect me."

The woman sitting at the bar, bored with the discussion of the impending May 1st KPD march and its potential for violence, expressed not only her own opinion, but that of far too many Berliners. In fact, it does affect her. And you too. Politics decides the laws under which we all live, it decides the nature and quality of our judicial systems, and the amount and kinds of personal freedoms with which we all live our lives. But too many of us take the attitude that "it doesn't affect me" and "let someone else do it". We are too busy earning the rent, putting food on the table, or chasing after more.... more clothes, more possessions, more drink, more fun.  There is nothing wrong with any of those things, of course. But because you work and live here, in Berlin, and enjoy the benefits it offers, you incur certain obligations, certain duties, that should not be shirked in the name of fun, or just plain laziness.

Speaking on a different subject during Sunday mass, Father Hellendale's remarks might also well apply to the topic of civic duty. "How people perceive the faith," he said, "is affected by what they see of the faithful. We therefore have a duty, do we not, to be perfect Christians - or at least, as perfect we can be in our inherently imperfect state." The same may be said of citizenship. History will judge us, and indeed Berlin and all of Germany, not by what we say but by what we do. We need not have all the answers. We need not be perfect citizens in our dedication, ideas and plans. But we must, we should feel compelled, to act. "Far better to be an actor, however poor," said British Deputy Winston Churchill in an address to the Harrow School, "than to be a critic, however gifted." It is not enough to ask, as this paper did only a few days ago, "Where is the SPD?" To complain and then insist that "they" ought to do something about it. WE are they.

Everyone has something to contribute to making our city and our nation a better place. To start a business. To organize an event. To teach a class. To create jobs for the less fortunate. To assist a new visitor and show them around. To contribute to the upkeep of the city and its institutions. To bring your constructive ideas forward. These are the things we all must look for within ourselves, find, and act upon. If we do not, others most certainly will. Others like the KPD and the NSDAP.  Pick up the mantle of citizenship and get to work. Stop sitting around waiting for others to create "fun". Create it yourself.

A good place to begin is at the Municipal Court building on Saturday, the 16th of April at noon (SLT). The City will be hosting its second Open Meeting and inviting the public to attend, participate and speak its mind. Be there. If you aren't, don't complain about the outcome later. Politics does indeed affect you.