America hasn’t lost its greatness. Don’t let any grown child sitting in a position of power tell you otherwise.
America isn’t perfect. It has room to be greater. But if the last general election and its results have shown us anything, it’s that we’re moving in the wrong direction.
Each one of us has a responsibility in that movement toward righting this ship we call America. How do we do that?
- ENOUGH WITH THE APATHY — Yes, politics can be frustrating. Yes, we feel that our representatives don’t listen to us, and we feel that way for good reason when town halls are held and people demand answers to their questions and they get roundabout answers, if those representatives bother to show up at all; or calls are made to lawmakers’ offices and answering systems inform people that mailboxes are full, or their office people take combative stances; or emails and mailed letters go unanswered or at best are answered with canned responses. But that’s no reason to give up, it’s reason to fight harder. We may not be in this position if more registered voters — especially in key states — had paid enough attention, not gotten too comfortable with poll numbers, not taken the easy way out by throwing up their hands and asking “what does it matter when they all stink?” during the last general election. Which means they didn’t show up to vote at all.
- ENOUGH WITH THE SHENANIGANS — I voted for Hillary Clinton. But I wasn’t comfortable with that choice. And, regardless of what Hillary supporters have said to me and others like me who actually preferred Bernie Sanders, it had nothing to do with her gender. If Elizabeth Warren had been the candidate, I would have whooped and hollered and cast my vote readily for her. I wasn’t comfortable with the choice of Hillary because I wasn’t comfortable with how the Democratic Party conducted its primaries right up to the convention. This “superdelegate” farce has got to go. Thankfully, the DNC chair during the primaries is no longer there, but is the person in that place up to the task? Put the best candidates out there and let the people decide, not some “superdelegates.” Make the vote truly represent the voice of the people, make it fair.
- SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES, PLEASE LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE AND GET CORPORATE MONEY OUT OF POLITICS — We know how attractive all that campaign money from organizations other than your electorate can be, but seriously. Click here to see just how staggering contributions can be for just one senator, Utah Republican Orrin Hatch, and why it should come as no surprise that his constituents really don’t mean all that much to him, except when it comes to election time.
- AS CITIZENS, IF WE’RE GOING TO DEBATE POINTS WITH EACH OTHER, COME WELL-ARMED WITH FACTS INSTEAD OF FEELINGS — If we ever want to have that “civil discussion” we keep hearing about on the issues that face us, it does no good to ask the person on the other side for information, to ask for unbiased links to articles or any publications to back up their opinions, and have it end up with “it’s just a feeling I have,” or “I know the truth when I see things around me in everyday life,” leading to frustration which inevitably leads to personal insults. If I had $10 for every time I saw or had someone say in any way, “If you don’t like it here then leave,” then I could probably afford to leave. But, as it stands, we also won’t get to the point of having any civil discourse until we …
- STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE, TURN OFF RUSH LIMBAUGH AND HANNITY AND ALEX JONES, QUESTION AT LEAST IN YOUR OWN MIND WHAT YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION IS TELLING YOU — And, yes, that includes the more liberal side too. Funny thing is, though, when I question the more liberal side and do my own research, it generally proves what I’m told on the more liberal side. Not always, but often enough.
- WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE OUR PRESENCE KNOWN AND MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE, SOMETHING REALLY BIG? — A good friend of mine has suggested more than once that we all hop in some mode of transportation and make our way at a specific date and time and a specific location to Washington, D.C. Every one of us who’s grown tired and disgusted by “politics as usual,” every one of us who’s concerned in any way, just all get together and raise our voices and say to those who are supposed to represent us, “Do your job!!! Listen to us!!! Enough of the games already!!! Enough!!!” How could they ignore us then? If that were possible, I’d be there in a heartbeat. Until that can happen …
- PAY ATTENTION, GET INVOLVED, AND VOTE FOR WHAT’S RIGHT FOR EVERYONE IN AMERICA — Not just what’s right for you and your beliefs on guns or abortion or sexual orientation or religion or nationalities or race, etc. What’s right for everyone as citizens of America, as a whole. After all …
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (and women) 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.
Part 1: It’s getting … tiresome
Part 3: Where America Is At Now
Part 4: The Fakeness of America
Part 5: Turning Things Around