An observation was made recently in the Rants and Raves column that should provoke much thought.

The caller noted that he had been listening to a group of people say how tired they are of listening to and about the presidential candidates. And he was concerned that our public takes for granted their democracy that provides for such.

Indeed, complacency with our system has shown up in many areas, voter apathy being one of them. As well, Americans may not seem very passionate about many issues anymore.

Our system, even with its warts, has worked well for us for many years even though many of us consider our democracy a work in progress. Of course some of these comments this person heard may stem from the possibility that the people making them are not supportive of the candidates in the spotlight. Perhaps if it was their candidate, they may have voiced a different perception.

When we study American history to any reasonable depth, we learn that our system has fiery debate and perhaps what some label “mudslinging” at its very roots. It didn’t start in the past few elections. In fact there probably have been instances years back when the rocks being hurled were more and larger. But, the transmission of those events by mass media was not as prevalent then.

Political strategists are not a new breed. Behind-the-scenes finagling is not a fresh concept. It is up to us, the public, to make ourselves aware and to be able to “think between the lines.”

It was also pointed out that there are those places in our world where the public would “not be bothered” with all this debate and volleys being fired back and forth.

And if we think about those places and their systems, certainly we would consider what happens in our land as a good thing or at worst, a necessary evil.

We have the right not to listen to any of it. We even have a right not to vote. But it would seem more a matter of responsibility that we educate ourselves on the candidates and issues in order to make a wiser choice at the polls. And by the way, in some of those “other places” we mentioned, there are no choices.

So what we are seeing and hearing is no worse than our understandng — or lack thereof —of a democratic republic. Those volleys we are hearing are linked to our forefathers and their dreams.