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Whats going on? Democracy in action. Or is it democracy in decline?

The pessimist in me says that its a good time to be getting old. I am a septuagenarian, and with age comes wisdom (although, sometimes, age comes alone). The optimist in me, meanwhile, responds that crisis represents opportunity.

Young folks, please pay attention: Our country, the world, desperately needs your 100% buy-in to deal with so many issues. The opening lines here were far from a complete list.

As Americans, we have been blessed. Our wise forefathers constructed a Constitution and within a few years amended it to include a Bill of Rights. The bill includes freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms.

What is not explicitly stated, but certainly implied, is that with rights come responsibilities: to be respectful of others, to be tolerant, and to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This is not a religious diatribe but rather a common-sense approach to addressing the myriad issues confronting our increasingly complex society. Our current lifestyle is way beyond anything our forefathers could have envisioned.

Might our American Constitution be in need of some revision? Perhaps, but there are things we can certainly consider in the interim.

Marches, protests, and walkouts should continue, provided they remain peaceful and without property destruction. Consequences should be imposed for any destruction or violence.

Social-media hate, manipulation, haranguing, and propaganda remain a tough issue, a work in progress within our free-speech norms.

With regard to the right to bear arms, how about mandatory prison time for any crime committed with a gun? How about outlawing all automatic weapons, including bump stocks? For what purposes are such deadly weapons needed? I am a hunter and occasional trap shooter. I understand a handgun for personal or home-security purposes. But other firearms needs befuddle me. Is gun control the answer? Some areas with the strictest gun laws have some of the worst statistics relative to gun violence. Stop and frisk significantly reduced crime in New York City. Might that be applied, with improved guidelines, elsewhere?

Racism and religious and political intolerance are longtime challenging issues. Immigration similarly begs for a solution, not just posturing. Political correctness has outlived any utility it ever had. Media, can you help diagnose and examine these issues? Politicians, get with it; be responsible to your constituents. Citizens, quit whining and get engaged; vote out ineffective elected leaders.

I am encouraged with the growing recognition and acceptance, even if slow, of evolution as the keystone to our earthly existence. Change is not only possible; its the norm. Adaptation and survival of the fittest apply to all plant and animal life (including humans) and even inanimate elements like geology and topography. As humans, we are blessed with opportunities to advance ourselves, our families, our communities, and our nations. Lets lead by example, by doing unto others as we would have them do unto us.

For with rights come responsibilities. Thats democracy in action.

Tom Wheeler was a longtime Duluth-area businessman, civic leader, and philanthropist. Retired he splits his time between Duluth and Tucson, Ariz., and is a regular contributor to the News Tribune Opinion page.

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Local View Column: Democracy in action demands that with rights come responsibilities - Duluth News Tribune