Guest Column -- Watertown Public Opinion

Nancy Turbak Berry
Guest Columnist
Watertown Public Opinion

I¹ve always taken this democracy stuff pretty seriously. Years ago, when
we¹d gather around the flagpole at school and recite a pledge that promised
liberty and justice for all,  I took it to heart. Now my life work is spent
trying to be sure that promise is kept.
Later, when I learned that Revolutionary War soldiers fought without decent
guns or even shoes, I was awed by their commitment to democracy. By the time
I learned the Gettysburg Address, I was hooked. How could there be anything
better than ³government of the people, by the people, and for the people²?
Now, as a legislator, I¹m determined to have government honor that
commitment.
Especially in South Dakota, we tend to just trust the government. After all,
whether it¹s elected officials or full time employees, we know these people.
They¹re our neighbors, our cousins, our friends. At the least, they seem a
lot like us.  So why worry about ³open government²?
It¹s easy to see the challenge to democratic principles when military
leaders from Iraq or Pakistan forcibly occupy those countries¹ governments.
With no one in uniform about to take over our state or nation, though, we
get complacent. Democracy depends on participation, not complacency, and
participation isn¹t very meaningful if it isn¹t informed.
Thomas Jefferson said, ³Information is the currency of democracy.² There are
ways to allow access to that currency while protecting the privacy of
individuals, security of institutions, and efficiency of government (to the
extent government can be efficient). Items held back from the public ought
to be the exception, not the rule. The presumption should be that unless
government can point to a good reason for keeping something secret, it
should be open. 
The other day, as I sat outside the South Dakota Senate chambers, a
delightful little lady joined me. Her accent was enchanting as she talked
about living under Hitler and spending years under the Soviets. Our
conversation wove through many topics. We did not agree on all of them. But
when we got to the subject of open government, she implored me to never give
up. 
According to Jefferson, experience has shown that even under the best forms
of government, those entrusted with power will slowly, bit by bit, pervert
it into tyranny. I believe Jefferson was right. Even here in friendly,
decent South Dakota, those with knowledge and power often would rather not
share it. They seem to forget that government belongs to the people, not to
those who happen to occupy a government office, however big or small, at any
given time.
The Declaration of Independence may say it is ³self-evident² that the only
just government is one that derives its power from the consent of the
governed, but it took a lot of frozen, bloody feet to establish that
reality. The least we can do is protect it.

Sen. Nancy Turbak Berry represents District 5. She serves on Judiciary,
Commerce, and Taxation Committees and on the Attorney General¹s Task Force
on Open Government. She also is the prime sponsor of SB189, a bill to create
a presumption of openness in South Dakota.