Well, right now rich guys in mansions have been able to steal it from us for pennies on the dollar for a little while now, but we can do something about that. We haven't rolled over and given up the real power. Yet...
I have been on an annoying tear in my comments lately about the owners (that means us), of our democracy and the Constitutional beneficiary of it’s services, lack of willingness to engage with our government as a united people and the impact that has on the quality and results of our representation. I am blatantly guilty of ignoring my government until DT came on the scene. I voted but that was it. I whined about the real abuses from those in power but I never even tried to ask my rep why they were not doing their job to end them. I believed what most all of us had chosen to believe. We didn’t matter. We have no power. We just have to accept what we get and hope we don't get blown up by a nuke. I also could never imagine our government being attacked from within. This may have done us a huge favor if we actually internalize the threat. I own this in my comments as well.
The responses to my comments have been interesting. I find some of our fellow KOS members trying to reality test with thoughtful consideration while others cling with both hands to the belief that it is hopeless to think we can make a difference. I had one person who defended their reps willingness to respond and provide solutions to all of their requests for assistance. I had to ask if they were asking for a resolution and action to end gun deaths, consequences from the DOJ for open crimes committed by DT and his fellow educationists in office then and still today who were involved in Jan 6th that either never happened or were delayed for years, stolen documents, treason left uncharged, foriegn influence and on and on and on. The list of actionable behaviors is endless and the consequences are yet to be imposed for 99% of them. Those are the things that I challenge would be addressed if the voters engaged and reminded our reps that we are going to hold them accountable when we vote in 4 years. I argue that voting is critical. It is our power and that doing so once every four years is not enough. Louis DeJoy is a shining example of what I believe 4 million voters writing the White house could have fixed. What would we see if we had 30% of the voters stay on their reps once a week or once a month reminding them that we are watching them and that we expect our reps to act with our best interests as their result? Our vote is their access to power. They know it. That is why R’s are doing everything they can to kill it.
My reps are a mixed bag. My congressman has provided thoughtful responses to my concerns and cited his actions that address them, successful or not. My Senator has never sent anything more than a form letter that often, says nothing about my concern. I am in NYS and while Chuck does not represent my part of the state, I write him often because of his position in the Senate. I have received one or two direct responses regarding specific issues but that is more than my other Senator has ever provided. At the state level, my local reps are better at engaging. I consider myself lucky to live in a blue state. I cannot imagine how people in R led states are received when they engage with their R reps.
The current situation we face has been a long time in it’s making and it reflects the will of the people being replaced by an all out press by the right for years to weaken the voters power with a less than stellar response to that effort from Dems to protect our power, hold the right accountable for abuses when they are clearly justified to do so and in truth, mandated by law to hold them accountable, but do not. We are now forced to watch the ability of the wealthy to buy our representation out from under us with legal malfeasance providing them cover while doing so. How is it that we can watch a football game for 3 hours every week, cruise the web for 10 hours and shop on line for hours but we can’t motivate ourselves to take 30 minutes a month to remind our reps what we need from them, why we voted for them and tell them that our vote is on the table? The issues and problems are out of control but we will never have them addressed if we do not push the people who can fix them to do so consistently? We will need years of effort to fix the damage the right has done and we must make a minimum of effort to supervise our reps, who answer to us so that they stay on task. This is our business and if it were a private one, we would have no one to blame but ourselves for its failures. We OWN THIS.
I am shearing a great example of people getting loud in a red state. They are now forced into engaging because of the abuses that have become intolerable. This is also from the presses perspective. Imagine if they had the community engaged before it was allowed to get that bad?
I am not going to say this is an easy task. I will argue that ten minutes a week or a month is the minimum amount of effort without breaking a sweat for a voter to give making sure that their vote is paying off and that their rep knows they are being watched. We can watch a youtube video for 30 without thinking about it. Enough. Pick an issue and stay on your rep until they do something about it, even if it takes years. It is the least you can do to protect your tax dollar investment and your vote paying off. Right now, Elon Musk is getting everything we can’t for pennies on the dollar. That should piss you off until they day you die. It is for me.
www.rawstory.com/…
Have at it in the comments of you have any good ideas. We need all the good ideas we can get. Please don't tell me it is impossible. The attack on us from within with an attempted coup thrown in, with no one responsible in jail 4 years later and then running for POTUS again thrown in for good measure, was impossible in every ones mind before DT.
We know how possible it so very quickly became.
Talk about a just few people engaging and making real change…. Imagine what millions of us could accomplish.
ENGAGE/VOTE
