I will probably be flamed for writing this, but since nobody cares what's said on the internet anyway, c'est la vie...
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
When a representative democracy fails to act in representation of the will of the governed, is it then a democracy at all? Do we vote for our leaders only to stand by and observe their actions with no recourse? Must we endure years of abuse at the hands of corrupt politicians before having our needs addressed at election, and then only in words resulting in no action? When is it enough!?
Our Senate has become a destructive obstacle towards enacting the will of the people. Either it's function must be drastically reformed, or it should be abolished wholesale. What does it proffer the people of this nation to maintain such an archaic and dysfunctional House of Lords, where the voice of one wealthy man outweighs the voices of millions crying for relief? A radical call for reform in the face of this willful sabotage of our democracy has become our only recourse. Is it worth one more life to maintain this farce out of nothing more than a misguided sense of tradition? This is our government, to maintain or change as we see fit, and we do not need the permission or agreement from our leaders to do so.
We have the tools built in to our constitution, and it is our constitution, to reform our government through a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures for the purpose of amending our constitution to better serve this modern nation of free people. It is an action requiring courage and thoughtfulness in it's implementation, but is it any less dangerous to continue on in the manner we are? It is time to put our government into the hands of the governed.
I wrote a few days ago about this matter as put forward by Constitutional Scholar Jonathan Turley, and his ideas are both simple and profound. (Discussion at On Point Radio) He suggested major changes to break down barriers to Third Party candidates and abolishing the electoral college for presidential elections among other things. I would go further by suggesting drastic changes to the function of our national congress, or even a disolusion of the Senate altogether. There are many who will disagree with this course of action, and they may be right, but until we have the debate we cannot make informed decisions. I say it's time for that debate.
If we are going to amend our constitution, and go through all of the difficulty and argument involved with such an undertaking, than we should put our efforts toward real reform not just a return to the status quo. Is this really the government we want to sustain?
- Independently wealthy politicians bought and paid for by other wealthy people and corporations.
- Unchecked laissez faire capitalism that has destroyed our middle class and scarred an entire generation.
- Corporate welfare costing billions in taxes while eroding the meager social safety-net for everyone else.
- Public-risk and private-gain banking propped up by our tax dollars, widening the income gap to obscene levels.
- Abrogation of constitutional authority by our congress, allowing for executive overreach and illegality.
- Illegal wars of choice fought for corporate profit, weakening our ability to respond to real emergencies and attacks.
- Rampant criminality in our intelligence services covered up and ignored to the detriment of our nation and the world.
- Torture codified into law by memo and then hidden from the public with no accountability.
- Aggressive posturing towards, and irresponsible provocation of other nations, destabilizing many parts of the world.
These are but a handful of our nation's problems that come as a direct result of the corruption and dysfunction of the Senate, and to a lesser degree the House. The Senate has done nothing but funnel power from the people into the hands of the wealthy and well connected since it's inception. That was it's design, and it has worked to that end for over two centuries. It is time to change this reality.
The needs of the people have been ignored or put off for too long. It is not only our right, but our responsibility as citizens to make changes in our government when it is no longer functioning. Our children and grandchildren deserve better. To hell with the filibuster, end the Senate.
I know this seems pretty crazy at first blush, but I think we should welcome the debate to at least put some pressure towards real reform.