Democrats announce scholarship winners

The Mariposa Democratic Club and the Mariposa County Democratic Central Committee recently announced this year’s Mariposa Democrats Education Award winners.

The winner of this year’s award is Sophia Forga, who received an award of $1,500.

The two runner ups were Kelsea Coder and Tamzen McCollom, who each received an award of $500.

There were two honorable mentions: Xavier Dacanay and Celina Heard. They received an award of $250 each.

Each of these students have inspiring educational goals. They are involved in extra-curricular activities from wrestling to soccer; French Club to Spanish Club; working with the Mariposa Parks and Recreation department to forming a band (JNX).

They all have exceptional academic records and submitted excellent essays about what democracy means to them or about a famous Democrat.

“What Democracy Means to Me”
By TAMZEN MCCOLLOM

Unfortunately, politics is something that I know quite a bit about. I would love to live in a time where I saw politics as boring, full of red tape, uneventful and slow.

I don’t know if it has ever been so ideal. But my coming of age, my coming of consciousness into the global world has been marked by the word “unprecedented.”

Never before, it feels, has looking at the news and riding a roller coaster been so similar. And over this scrum of scandal, scrupulous observation and scathing media coverage, lies the golden and steadfast safeguard of democracy.

I give thanks in the morning, as I check the New York Times or Instagram, seeing these endless parades of warnings and shocking headlines, that I have the ability to be one more voice, one more statistic, in this balance of power.

To hold back the tides of tyranny: this is one of the key purposes of what we call democracy. Yet it is not the only one.

There is no other concrete way to be able to understand and respond to the needs of the people. We the people, is the first, ever-quoted line of the Constitution, and this is the point of democracy.

It aims to create a brotherhood of people, and yet not get rid of our differences. It is a strange dream and yet an ideal one. It claims that a nation can be made of people who have nothing in common but their citizenship and their differences.

Although the majority of people can of course be wrong, and often have been, there is less of a risk of them being wrong than a tyrant or king.

Mass madness is always less likely than the maddened danger of a single person who holds all the cards.

To me, democracy is strength in collectivity. It is formed on the basis of a singular idea and belief: that humans are inherently good. And while some days the world seems to be collapsing, this feels like the right thing to fall back upon.

I desperately want to believe that humans are good and I am grateful that I live in a country based on that idea, however imperfectly it carries this out.

Democracy professes the goodness of humanity, but it also holds the responsibility of giving a voice to the marginalized and holds the responsibility of balancing the wants of the many with the rights and desires of the few.

This is not to say that democracy is perfect. I am well aware that there are loopholes in this seemingly golden facade. And certainly there will continue to be.

But, in my short life, I have found that democracy offers me hope that these things are fixable, that we can continue to make the world a better place.

Democracy opened the doors for Civil Rights, for women’s suffrage, for all manner of social reform that aims to protect and provide for the vulnerable. It fights for a society in which no one is above the law.

Despite being imperfect, it at least strives to be just. Despite not being a utopia, it at least attempts to be inclusive. Giving the people a strong and capable voice is one of the highest civic virtues a country can endeavor to accomplish and I am joyful that I am part of that voice, that solution.

In partnership with democracy, my life is my country’s future and with the voice that democracy gives me I can shape the next generation’s future, my potential children’s future, into a bigger, brighter, freer, more perfect one than all the generations that have come before.

Mariposa Democrats Education Award:
600-word essay about either a famous
Democrat or hero or
what democracy means to you.

By XAVIER DACANAY

Democracy: a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.

As Abraham Lincoln stated in his 1863 Gettysburg Address, democracy is a “…government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

Democracy is not authoritarianism, or any form of government led by a king. In order for a democratic government to work effectively, people must be educated and able to properly back up their political opinions.

Democracy, to me, means having the freedom to think independently, speak openly and stand up for what one believes in.

Green Day has been one of my biggest inspirations both musically and politically. When I was first introduced to Green Day, I was a baby. My mother played Green Day’s music on all of our car rides to the Bay Area and family road trips. As I’ve grown older, I’ve grown to appreciate not just the sound of their music but also the content of their lyrics and their ability to speak out about problems in our nation while promoting love and democracy.

Green Day’s album American Idiot was the first album of theirs that I was introduced to, which opened my eyes to various political topics.

The opening song “American Idiot” talks about various topics, but mainly highlights the negative effects of the mass media and how easy it is to be manipulated by it. The opening line, “Don’t wanna be an American idiot,” isn’t necessarily rejecting America, but instead rejecting being a sheep.

It highlights a character that doesn’t want to just follow the crowd without thinking or completely accept the media’s truth, being manipulated by fear.

This has affected my political views, realizing the importance of being educated and being able to ensure the credibility of information presented to me, especially with the amount of information pushed through social media.

Furthermore, Green Day has demonstrated that an important aspect of democracy involves speaking out.

Throughout my life, I have seen Green Day live four times, and even more times through online streaming. During the 2016 American Music Awards, Green Day performed their song “Bang Bang,” which highlights problems like the glamorization of violence and other attention seeking behavior.

During their performance, they started a chant, shouting “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA,” outwardly expressing their political views and how they stand against racism and authoritarianism.

This contributed to my respect for this band, made me realize how important it is to have the ability to express one’s beliefs openly and also how freedom of speech is one of democracy’s greatest strengths.

Watching artists like Green Day use their platform to address issues has inspired me to reflect on my own role in society.

As a student, I participate by staying informed, maintaining strong academic performance and thinking critically about what I learn and how true it is.

Education is one of the foundations of democracy. When people are educated, they are more prepared to analyze future policies, question leadership and contribute ideas to important issues.

Due to Green Day’s strong political views, they have sparked conversations and arguments among people who agree and disagree.

In reality, there is no single right answer. Conversations and debates are a part of democracy and are vital. It’s not about everyone thinking the same way, but instead leaving room for explanations and discussions. True democracy encourages debate without silencing opposing voices.

Ultimately, democracy means freedom balanced with responsibility. It is the freedom to speak, create and protest, combined with the responsibility to stay informed and engaged.

Through music, I learned that democracy is active, not passive. It requires courage to question, discipline to learn and respect for others’ rights.

To me, democracy is not just a system of government. It is a mindset, choosing to think critically and independently, seeking the truth and using one’s voice when it matters.

As I pursue higher education, I intend to remain an engaged citizen, staying informed, respectful and brave enough to use my voice when necessary.