REAL DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION. Demand Answers
It might be a worn out phrase; it is nonetheless true and particularly significant today. A true democracy demands participation by the citizens. We do not have a legitimate complaint about the outcome in our political process, in our justice system, and in the standards practiced in our communities if we sit on the sidelines and complain. We need to actively participate; our political leaders NEED to hear from us and know what it is that we care about. The hypocrisy of the Republican leadership should be challenged. Hold Boehner, Brady & McConnell accountable.
There are those in our communities who have gotten away with carrying out all kinds of atrocities against the less powerful because they could count on the fact that the rest of us would sit by and let it happen. They count on our silent collusion against the oppressed. “ALL IT TAKES FOR EVIL TO THRIVE IS FOR PEOPLE OF GOODWILL TO DO NOTHING.”
Liars get away with telling lies because no one calls them on it. Sometimes, in trying to keep the peace we facilitate the perpetuation of lies and deceit. Democracy is about standing up for what we believe in, and for the principles to which we subscribe as individuals, as communities, and as a society.
A democracy only functions as such when everyone can have a reasonable expectation of fairness, and when there are rules adhered to that ensure that such fairness is practiced.
Some of those given a little power abuse it a little and get away with it; when they abuse it more siginificantly and are not challenged, they go on to becoming despots. There are too many despots in our communities.
Politicians get away with deceptious behavior because they are often not challenged. Interestingly, some of the things the media invest time in (such as what is going on in people’s private lives and that do not affect their public performance) are not the things that voters/ citizens who need help care about. Journalism has become too gossipy. Too much time is being invested in Mel Gibson’s private life. If the tapes being broadcast repeatedly are authentic, Mr. Gibson clearly has a problem; however, whether his career is over or not is not going to affect the price we pay at the pump, or whether the Republicans regain control of the House. Those are the real issues that will affect the pocketbooks and lives of average Americans.
In the 8 years during which president Bush and the Republicans ran the American economy into the ground, I did not see the majority of the media asking detailed questions. Recently we learned that the economy needs 22 mil jobs. Republican leaders are condemning President Obama for not fixing in 18 months what they destroyed in 8 years. These 22 million jobs were not lost in the 18 months since President Obama took office! Where were the media pundits then? It seems that in the second term of the Bush presidency much of the media became their partners rather than the servant of the people providing accurate information.
Republicans held up the unemployment extended benefts for weeks, and they are now concerned about economic issues so that they will be able to use it as a weapon in the mid-term elections! That is shear hypocrisy and blatant lying. Where were John Boehner, Kevin Brady and Mitch Mcconnell when Mr. Bush and his cronies were destroying the economy and while their very rich friends got richer? How many of us were paying attention? Where were the investigative journalists then? What about the tax cuts for the rich? Why did those keep going even when average Americans were in dire economic stress? What did the Republicans do for the average American?
Do not be impressed by the noisy, hysterical politics, media Obama-bashing wagon. Get informed; ask questions of your political representatives and don’t accept the media’s word. Except on PBS, The Nation and a few other outlets with integrity, the news is all about ratings and advertising dollars. Real democracy is about all of us citizens trying to get the facts and holding our representatives accountable. Local, state, and national politicians, and all those who claim positions of leadership are to be held accountable to we the people. Real Democracy Is About Citizen Participation. The politicians are supposed to be working for the people
Remember to VOTE in the primary elections in August and in the mid-term elections this November. Think about who you are voting for and why. Do NOT be influenced by endorsements made by popular leaders or politicians; most such endorsements are about bargains made and deals cut. Invest the time to learn about each person for whom you vote. Look at someone’s track record. The fact that someone was a successful business person does not make him or her a successful political leader.
How many of us remember and voted for Lowell Weicker? Thanks to him, we have a state income tax in CT. What do we have to show for it? How many of us believed that Lowell Weicker was a different kind of Republican politician? Real Democracy Is About Citizen Participation. Please remember to VOTE during the primaries and at the mid-term.