After the Dearborn City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to ban smoking at parks, hundreds of social media users expressed outrage at the decision, saying that it targets Arab Americans hookah smokers. But how many of those Facebook activists have called a council member to convey their feelings? 

Not many.

Lack of engagement in the decision-making process limits our influence as a community. Our issues get lost in the noise, and only our “friends” hear our screams of outrage on social media, as we remain unheard by elected officials.

The proposed smoking ban, which was proposed by council members Robert Abraham and Tom Tafelski, is the latest issue in a string of city council decisions that some community members are convinced target Arab Americans. While we cannot make a definitive conclusion about the intention of the councilmen who proposed the ordinance and do not condone smoking, we urge our readers to be involved in the political process, no matter what their thoughts are.  

When the city council moved to ban converting garages to living spaces, many community members considered the decision a race issue. Given that it’s mostly Arab Americans who turn their garages into living rooms, there was a general sense in the community that the ordinance targets Arabs. However, it was the Campaign for Liberty, a libertarian group, that led the opposition against the resolution at council meetings, not Arab American residents. 

When Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Capitol Hill in March and bashed the president, our local Democratic lawmakers, whom we overwhelmingly supported in the elections, attended the speech. 

Political participation starts but does not end with voting. 

In the days leading to Netanyahu’s visit, pro-Israeli groups mobilized across the country and sent countless letters, emails and phone calls to convince Democratic members of Congress to attend. How many people in our community picked up the phone to call the U.S. representatives office and urge them not to participate in insulting President Obama by listening to Netanyahu?

Not many.

Politics is a craft of calculating consequences, where principles do not control decisions. We need to inform our politicians of the capital they might gain or lose by making decisions that impact our community. Even elected representatives who only answer to their consciences might be swayed by pressure to side with their constituents.

Since the inception of this newspaper, The Arab American News has tried to convey the political message of the community. But as the Arabic saying goes, “One hand cannot clap alone.” We need two hands. We need all the voices we have to make our city council, Lansing and Washington hear our concerns.

Next time you have a political rant about a tangible issue, do not just share it on social media. Take an additional step and email your elected representative.

Democracy means the power of the people. In a republic, such as the United States, citizens rule through elected representatives. If we do not try to influence our politicians, we exclude ourselves from the democratic process and surrender our powers.

Some people are weary of partisan politics. But participating in decisions that will affect your country, community and family has nothing to do with picking sides in the power struggle. It is simply an act of empowering ourselves. 

The contact info of the Dearborn City Council can be found at //www.cityofdearborn.org/government/city-council.