This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Museum on Main Street program at the Smithsonian Institution and its "Stories from Main Street" initiative. The project is intended to capture Americans' impressions and stories about their small-town and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, and thoughts about American democracy. This story is from a group of narratives inspired by the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America."
Ashley Troutman (00:01): Robert M. Ashley Troutman, and I am a resident of the city of Lakeland, Florida. The word "democracy," if you look at it from an educational standpoint, in its actual definition, one of the first words that is framed in there is "system." But in order to have a system, it goes along to talk about people. And so without people, there is no system. And so, the democracy still rests with people. And so I would say that even outside of that system is important for us as American citizens to always remember that as people, we are the power. As people, we are the influence and people, we are the change that we want to see. And so as American citizens, I would encourage each and every one, each and every person to always hold that to be true and to exercise that, that they have as a part of that system to vote every year.
(01:03): Not only that, but to make sure in biblical terms, it says to study, study to show yourself approved, to make sure that we are understanding and at least aware of what issues that we're facing as a community. Oftentimes we go to the booth blindly. Not only is it interesting that people that were suppressed for so many years to not have the chance to vote, whether you're talking about minorities or women who also are minorities as well in a sense. But those people were also the ones that were oppressed to read. So they couldn't have the opportunity to actually understand what they were doing, but they knew it was something that was just in their nature to want to do, to be a part of change. And so taking both of those rights and marrying them is important as well to again, make sure that we are informed and are aware of what it is that we're facing and that we're dealing with.
(02:07): Secondly, I mean, thirdly, I would say just to care, care for neighbor, to care for people that are around us. It defines neighbor in that great book that our neighbors, the ones that are in need. And so to always have a heart and a eye for those that are in need as American citizens, I think that is important. And also a value that we should continue to carry as we move forward. Yeah, that is interested, isn't it? How you hear that phrase used all the time. Oh, my vote doesn't matter. They're going to do what they want to do anyway. But if you think about even the vote of a, in the representative government form, even the vote of one commissioner or one state representative or one state senator or one congressman or one U.S. Senator, that one vote oftentimes weighs the balance and changes the directions of many things.
(03:16): And so when people say that their one vote doesn't matter, I beg to differ on that because it's always, it's not the large things that get us. And my high school coach would always tell us, it's the little things. And so the little things is the individual, the one. And so if that one chooses to stay home, the next one chooses to stay home and the next one chooses to stay home. And all of a sudden we have a system which is supposed to be made up by the people that is being shaped by only a few. And so it's very important for people to go out and exercise that right to vote. I give you an example. There is a gentleman by the name of Steve Givens who was for 20 years, I believe, the executive director of the Citrus Connection here in Polk County.
Find a complete transcript at www.museumonmainstreet.org
Asset ID: 2022.37.10.b
