Had enough ?

Well it’s been many, many years since I’ve donned the activist hat but I think it’s time to do it once again. Even as a youngster in the fifth grade I remember how upset I was when I learned that a rural area, in my hometown, was being looked at, as a possibility for a dump site for radioactive waste. I spent a lot of time writing my congressmen, circulating petitions and talking to students in my school about the hazards of such an idea. I researched information on the topic and read as much as I could find (this was way before the days of the internet). Luckily it never happened and I had a collection of responses from my congressmen, artifacts, etc left as my reward for “stopping the evil foe that threatened my town”.
Then I grew up and like many individuals assumed the responsibilities of having a family, a job and all the other stuff that goes with it. I think the problem is that we’ve all gotten so bogged down in being “grownups” that we’ve forgotten about the things that have made this nation strong and the things that have made us a respected leader in the world AND we’ve forgotten the part that we all play in making sure that we stay on track. Remember the part in the constitution where it says, “We the People….” Hey folks, that’s us !!
I don’t know about you but I’ve gone way beyond disillusionment to being pissed off. Our country is going to hell in a hand basket and neither our President nor our governmental representatives (ironic title since they DON’T represent their constituents in the sense of carrying out their will) will change the course of what we’re doing and get our country back into shape. We’ve gone from a position of economic strength six years ago to one of economic despair, one that will shape our foreseeable future. We are plagued with a runaway drug problem, insecure borders where illegal aliens are streaming in on a daily basis, a failed foreign policy where we have few allies and are a laughing stock to the rest of the world, a tax system that benefits the top 1% of wealthiest Americans and not the working middle class, imports that far exceed the products we are exporting to other nations, jobs that are going overseas and leaving our workers out of work, an educational system that doesn’t give our teachers or institutions the resources or funding they need, lack of decent healthcare for all Americans, governmental agencies who are clueless about how to carry out the tasks for which they were created and the list goes on and on.
So you ask, “What can I, as a lone individual do to make a difference when there is so much to be done ?” Glad you asked…….Alot of the revolutionary change that our country experienced began with a single voice. It’s when the single voice joins another…and another….and another….and then the chorus of discontent becomes a deafening roar that draws the attention of everyone.

Knowledge is power so let’s get educated…..Do you know how your congressmen and women have voted on recent issues and what they’ve accomplished ? Here’s where you can find out.

http://www.vote-smart.org


Here’s an excerpt from their web site on what they are about:
“Here at Project Vote Smart, Americans young and old volunteer their time, take no money from special interest groups, and have committed themselves to an extraordinary effort that, if successful, will provide their fellow citizens with the tools for a reemergence of political power not known for half a century. Their idea is one you may have thought of yourself. It is a deceptively simple concept but enormously difficult to achieve and would not be possible without the collaboration of citizens willing to lay their partisan differences aside for this one crucial task.”

Let the Truth be known….

Would you like to know how much truth there is to the statistics or information that candidates throw around in campaign ads on TV or in debates ?

http://www.factcheck.org/

Let’s hold politicians accountable for what they say. When they think they can cite statistics and pull the wool over our eyes, think again. Get the truth from an unbiased source so you can make an informed decision when it comes time to vote or when you need to contact your legislators about an issue that is of importance to you.

The old saying, “Ignorance is Bliss” comes at a price. Politicians are counting on us to be ignorant of the facts, their voting records and the state of our government. Let’s take back the right, that we as citizens of this great nation, have a say in the way our politicians should govern and legislate. Watch and read what is going on in our government and arm yourself with information. I figure if you and I can access correct statistics and information on topics of interest, so can the candidates. If they are “choosing” to distort these FACTS or present inaccurate information, what will they do when they are in a position of authority? How can we trust them to do what is in the best interest of our nation if they’ve lied to our faces to get the job?