The Death of Democracy
By Patrick Ryan Bender
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, Edmond
Eighth Grade

One year, not so very far in the future from now, Democracy died. At his wake, many citizens lined up to walk by his coffin and mourn. They sadly commented, “Wow, he was so young. He should have lived much longer. It was wonderful when he was alive.” And “I never suspected that death could happen so fast. I would have done anything to keep him alive. What will we do without Democracy?” An old man in a tattered coat stood by the coffin long after most of the others had left. This man, once well known but now almost anonymous to most, was a very close friend of Democracy. He might have been the only one at the wake who truly understood what a terrible tragedy had occurred.

“Old friend,” whispered Election. “I tried so hard to keep you alive. Earlier this year, not one single person had voted in any election, not even the candidates who were running.” It was not just the big Presidential elections that bored voters; gradually voters ignored the elections for every official in the United States. Of course, there were many reasons for the decline. Some people said that they were all sure that someone else would vote. Others had more important things to do than vote, or believed their one vote could not have a real impact. Without participatory elections, the people of the United States did not fulfill their patriotic duty to responsibly choose their leaders. The leaders that direct our country must be elected by the people to stand for the people if they are to act for the good of the citizens of the United States. Elections are the key to giving the people of the United States what they really want and need.

Once adults ignored the simple tasks of registering, becoming informed, and going to the poles to vote, it became easier for selfish people with personal agendas to come to power in our country. As one election after another passed with gradually declining turnout at the poles, Democracy gradually became weaker. Democracy still could have been saved if people realized their error and changed their ways, for a vigorous electoral process was the only medicine that democracy really needed. Americans just would not or could not grasp that elections are democracy in action, and without elections, life as we know it would drastically change. As Democracy realized that Americans possessed the tremendous freedom to vote but could not bother to do it, he gradually lost the will to live.

In this time in the future when the mourners gathered for Democracy’s farewell, the present government had decided that Americans did not need to have any say in their elections. These foolish citizens once thought that elections were not very important in their lives, but now they realized how wrong they were. People angrily commented that things were not going well for America and someone should do something about it. They never understood that they were the “someones” who failed to act. So the people at the wake mourned Democracy’s death because they had never realized how much they would miss him when he was gone.