For the past few days, I have been in Kajo Keiji, Sudan, a little north of the Sudanese-Ugandan border. I am with an organization called Drop In The Bucket. They drill for water in remote regions of these two countries, providing water and sanitation facilities. They are changing and saving lives here. To see the amazing work they have done up close is astounding. The Ugandan and Sudanese people I have met in the many villages and schools I have visited have been friendly and generous beyond belief.
Next January 9, the people of South Sudan will have the opportunity to vote for their independence. This is the day that thousands have died for, that thousands became child soldiers and fought in the bush for. This is a very big deal.
Registration time is now. Yesterday, I was at the border and had the chance to meet a busful of Sudanese students, who were going to school in Kampala, Uganda—about 12 hours south. They had driven all the way to Kajo Keiji to register, and they will be back again in January for the Referendum Vote.
To see these bright young people in their suits and dresses, looking so sharp, so earnest, sweating it out in the scorching midday sun, was inspiring as hell. I was given an opportunity to talk to them for a moment. I thanked them for making the long trip, staying over night, and registering to vote. I told them that they are the future of South Sudan, Africa, and the world. I told them that, in America, people have polling stations set up all over their cities and in the recent midterm elections millions of them couldn’t be bothered to go the short distance to vote, not even when they could mail in their votes. Here they were making this long and expensive journey from Kampala, over roads that would shake the fillings out of your teeth.
The man in charge of them told me that they would all be back in class the next morning.
I cannot explain how moving it was to see these young people, ready for democracy, doing what it takes to get that vote in.
Meanwhile, what? President Obama is a socialist? Gays are too queer to be in the military? And America is a Christian nation? And what else? Oh, you just love the Constitution.
When it comes to democracy, I sometimes wonder if America knows what it has, how hard it comes, and how easy it is to lose. I’ve got your decision points right here.