"WE THE PEOPLE, " HAVE A VOICE - THE SUNDAY COMMENTARY
Something very refreshing has taken place over the last few weeks that if it catches on will have an impact on the 2008 election but more importantly on the over all health of our nation and the direction in which our nation and our government take in the near future. This refreshing turn is something that citizens for the most part have neglected and almost forgotten, yet it is the very essence of our freedoms and the core of our nation.
In two separate instances the out rage of the American people sparked such an out cry in opposition to the Congress that those that we elected and in our form of government literally are required by law as stated in the Constitution accountable to us, actually listened to the voice of the people and two pieces of legislation were decided not by politicians but by direct intervention of the people.
The first was the Senate Immigration Bill which enraged the nation mainly because of its amnesty provision and its ignoring of border closure. Nearly every poll showed that the overwhelming majority, some as high as 82%, of Americans were against the bill. Yet in an alarmingly spiteful response those that we empowered to lead government were ignoring the will of the people and passage of this bad legislation was considered inevitable.
Then to the shock of the very officials in our government who were shoving this down our throats, the people rose in a united voice and flooded Congress with e-mails, phone calls, faxes, postal letters, (yes some still use this method), and even personal visits to Capitol Hill. The response was so overwhelming that several times the phone system and the Congressional servers actually crashed because of the flood of calls and e-mails.
Congress, to save their own hide had no choice but to listen and the Amnesty bill failed to pass by a large margin. The second instance happen just last week as Democrats attempted to push through the Homeland Security Bill without an amendment that was overwhelmingly voted for in March of this year.
The amendment was the John Doe provision that protects citizens from being sued who report suspicious activity that is terrorist related to authorities. Democrats are very beholden to the trial lawyers lobby and if any law suit protection becomes law it dips into their pocket books, so the trial lawyers lobby pressured Congressional Democrats and they dropped the provision.
Democrats nor the trial lawyers ever expected that the American people would step forward, yet to both of their surprise that is exactly what happened and Democrats were forced to bow to the much more powerful voice of the people. This voice also helped Democrats back away from eliminating three billion dollars in border security funding, which includes fencing. Fear of the reaction in light of the defeat of the Amnesty Bill and the John Doe provision had the Democrats back tracking and including the funding in the Homeland Security Bill.
Why should this response by the American people be such a surprise to Washington and also such an oddity in the running of our government and the shaping of our laws and policy both foreign and domestic ? This citizen response, the voice of the people, is the very essence of what makes our country unique in the world and has made this nation the power that it is and the free society that we all love.
From the very beginnings of this , "grand experiment, " it is the fact that the people are the power and voice of this nation that has allowed the very freedoms and liberties that we hold dear to remain intact and to prevent our nation from sliding into the abyss of socialistic or communist societies where the voice of the people is non - existent.
Had great Americans like Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Samuel Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson just to name a few not stepped forward and voiced their beliefs in freedom and then put actions behind that voice this very land that we hold so dear would have never been.
Our very Constitution which defines us as a nation and embodies through law not only who we are but why we are has at its very core in the first of our precious freedoms as written in the Bill of Rights that , "Congress shall make no law .....abridging the freedom of speech.....and to petition the government for redress of grievances." While freedom of speech has many different aspects and definitions the Founders main intent in including it as one of our essential rights was to allow by law the ability of the people to voice their opinion and/or opposition to the direction that their government was taking.
Thus making the government and its very existence subject to the approval of and completely beholden and accountable to the people of this nation. This one aspect alone has given this nation a unique position in the world and the existence of the fundamental law and right of the people separates us from the petty dictators and socialistic experiments while also preventing the nation from falling into either form of government.
Yet this one unique freedom to America has been neglected and at times all but forgotten so much so that we now live in a land with a government that is out of control, infringing on our freedoms through over regulation and entitlements, bleeding the citizens dry through burdensome taxation and given birth to politicians who believe that they are the power of government and can force their will upon the people and we like lambs must follow.
Being an activist has almost become a taboo because of the way that most of the American public view what an activist is. If one were to ask the average American to describe an activist, most would create the picture of crowds from the sixties who took to the streets chanting and protesting the Vietnam War. They would describe those who once called themselves, "hippies," and identify themselves more to the left of the political spectrum. While this type of activism has its place it is not the true definition of an activists.
Remember the Founding Fathers were political activists and they did not always gather in large crowds and sing and chant but took their political activism and the belief in freedom so serious that they were willing to place their very life on the alter of freedom and fight and if necessary die for their beliefs and their activism.
As a nation we have forgotten that political activism like that displayed with the Amnesty Bill and the John Doe provision is not only our right but our duty as citizens to hold our government and those that we have elected, or hired to represent us accountable to us and answerable for their actions, their voting in Congress and their decisions in the White House.
We do not have to take up signs and chant silly rhymes on Pennsylvania Avenue to be an activist. Calling our Congressmen or Senator on a regular bases expressing our opinion on what they are dong on our behalf is activism necessary for the survival of this nation. If we are not in favor of what our government is doing then it is our Constitutional responsibility to demand that the direction of OUR government move accordingly.
If we do not like how much politicians are spending then it is our responsibility to make our voice heard until they either reduce spending or we remove them from office and replace them with someone who will. Crashing the phone lines and servers on Capitol Hill should not be an occasional happening but a daily experience for Congress if we the people do not like what they are doing.
It should not take just bad legislation for our voice to be heard, but a daily response to the will of the people by representatives who realize that if they do not listen then we will remove them every two, six or four years and replace them with officials who listen to and truly represent the people. We have become to complacent with our vote, re-electing Congressman and Senators simply because they have been there for years and we know their name, but in many cases not their record.
We have become to complacent with our voice as a nation of citizens who have the Constitutional right and responsibility to hold our government accountable. So we sit back and only occasionally rise in one voice to demand that government listen. We then blame politicians, the media, other countries for our plight as a nation when it is our own fault that our government has become the monster that it is. While politicians, the media and other countries are contributing factors to the result, none of them would have the opportunity to run rampant as they have if we the people had held them accountable and responsible to us.
Political activism in holding our representatives accountable to the will of the people is OUR responsibility as Americans. If we cherish our freedoms then we must follow the example of our Founders and fight for them. We do not have to take up arms as they did because we have in place through our Constitution the laws and abilities to fight for our freedoms and those who we have elected by that same Constitution must answer to and be accountable to the will of we the people.
If we truly do not like the way our government is running then we have the right, the freedom, the power AND the responsibility as citizens of this greatest of nations to crash phone lines and servers, walk into their offices, visit every public appearance and yes cast our vote until this government, "of the people by the people and for the people, " once again understands that they do not tell us how this country is run but it is we the people who demand and hold them accountable to what we expect and the direction this nation is going.
Our voice if expressed loud enough will shape candidate platforms, create and make into law good legislation and even force the Supreme Court and the lower courts to abide strictly by the Constitution. None of this will happen until we as a nation of free citizens decide to MAKE it happen. Become a political activist. Follow the examples of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and Adams and give this nation of the people a new birth that follows a Constitution whose words though nearly 220 years old are as fresh and alive and pertinent today as they were in 1788.
Ken Taylor
In two separate instances the out rage of the American people sparked such an out cry in opposition to the Congress that those that we elected and in our form of government literally are required by law as stated in the Constitution accountable to us, actually listened to the voice of the people and two pieces of legislation were decided not by politicians but by direct intervention of the people.
The first was the Senate Immigration Bill which enraged the nation mainly because of its amnesty provision and its ignoring of border closure. Nearly every poll showed that the overwhelming majority, some as high as 82%, of Americans were against the bill. Yet in an alarmingly spiteful response those that we empowered to lead government were ignoring the will of the people and passage of this bad legislation was considered inevitable.
Then to the shock of the very officials in our government who were shoving this down our throats, the people rose in a united voice and flooded Congress with e-mails, phone calls, faxes, postal letters, (yes some still use this method), and even personal visits to Capitol Hill. The response was so overwhelming that several times the phone system and the Congressional servers actually crashed because of the flood of calls and e-mails.
Congress, to save their own hide had no choice but to listen and the Amnesty bill failed to pass by a large margin. The second instance happen just last week as Democrats attempted to push through the Homeland Security Bill without an amendment that was overwhelmingly voted for in March of this year.
The amendment was the John Doe provision that protects citizens from being sued who report suspicious activity that is terrorist related to authorities. Democrats are very beholden to the trial lawyers lobby and if any law suit protection becomes law it dips into their pocket books, so the trial lawyers lobby pressured Congressional Democrats and they dropped the provision.
Democrats nor the trial lawyers ever expected that the American people would step forward, yet to both of their surprise that is exactly what happened and Democrats were forced to bow to the much more powerful voice of the people. This voice also helped Democrats back away from eliminating three billion dollars in border security funding, which includes fencing. Fear of the reaction in light of the defeat of the Amnesty Bill and the John Doe provision had the Democrats back tracking and including the funding in the Homeland Security Bill.
Why should this response by the American people be such a surprise to Washington and also such an oddity in the running of our government and the shaping of our laws and policy both foreign and domestic ? This citizen response, the voice of the people, is the very essence of what makes our country unique in the world and has made this nation the power that it is and the free society that we all love.
From the very beginnings of this , "grand experiment, " it is the fact that the people are the power and voice of this nation that has allowed the very freedoms and liberties that we hold dear to remain intact and to prevent our nation from sliding into the abyss of socialistic or communist societies where the voice of the people is non - existent.
Had great Americans like Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Samuel Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson just to name a few not stepped forward and voiced their beliefs in freedom and then put actions behind that voice this very land that we hold so dear would have never been.
Our very Constitution which defines us as a nation and embodies through law not only who we are but why we are has at its very core in the first of our precious freedoms as written in the Bill of Rights that , "Congress shall make no law .....abridging the freedom of speech.....and to petition the government for redress of grievances." While freedom of speech has many different aspects and definitions the Founders main intent in including it as one of our essential rights was to allow by law the ability of the people to voice their opinion and/or opposition to the direction that their government was taking.
Thus making the government and its very existence subject to the approval of and completely beholden and accountable to the people of this nation. This one aspect alone has given this nation a unique position in the world and the existence of the fundamental law and right of the people separates us from the petty dictators and socialistic experiments while also preventing the nation from falling into either form of government.
Yet this one unique freedom to America has been neglected and at times all but forgotten so much so that we now live in a land with a government that is out of control, infringing on our freedoms through over regulation and entitlements, bleeding the citizens dry through burdensome taxation and given birth to politicians who believe that they are the power of government and can force their will upon the people and we like lambs must follow.
Being an activist has almost become a taboo because of the way that most of the American public view what an activist is. If one were to ask the average American to describe an activist, most would create the picture of crowds from the sixties who took to the streets chanting and protesting the Vietnam War. They would describe those who once called themselves, "hippies," and identify themselves more to the left of the political spectrum. While this type of activism has its place it is not the true definition of an activists.
Remember the Founding Fathers were political activists and they did not always gather in large crowds and sing and chant but took their political activism and the belief in freedom so serious that they were willing to place their very life on the alter of freedom and fight and if necessary die for their beliefs and their activism.
As a nation we have forgotten that political activism like that displayed with the Amnesty Bill and the John Doe provision is not only our right but our duty as citizens to hold our government and those that we have elected, or hired to represent us accountable to us and answerable for their actions, their voting in Congress and their decisions in the White House.
We do not have to take up signs and chant silly rhymes on Pennsylvania Avenue to be an activist. Calling our Congressmen or Senator on a regular bases expressing our opinion on what they are dong on our behalf is activism necessary for the survival of this nation. If we are not in favor of what our government is doing then it is our Constitutional responsibility to demand that the direction of OUR government move accordingly.
If we do not like how much politicians are spending then it is our responsibility to make our voice heard until they either reduce spending or we remove them from office and replace them with someone who will. Crashing the phone lines and servers on Capitol Hill should not be an occasional happening but a daily experience for Congress if we the people do not like what they are doing.
It should not take just bad legislation for our voice to be heard, but a daily response to the will of the people by representatives who realize that if they do not listen then we will remove them every two, six or four years and replace them with officials who listen to and truly represent the people. We have become to complacent with our vote, re-electing Congressman and Senators simply because they have been there for years and we know their name, but in many cases not their record.
We have become to complacent with our voice as a nation of citizens who have the Constitutional right and responsibility to hold our government accountable. So we sit back and only occasionally rise in one voice to demand that government listen. We then blame politicians, the media, other countries for our plight as a nation when it is our own fault that our government has become the monster that it is. While politicians, the media and other countries are contributing factors to the result, none of them would have the opportunity to run rampant as they have if we the people had held them accountable and responsible to us.
Political activism in holding our representatives accountable to the will of the people is OUR responsibility as Americans. If we cherish our freedoms then we must follow the example of our Founders and fight for them. We do not have to take up arms as they did because we have in place through our Constitution the laws and abilities to fight for our freedoms and those who we have elected by that same Constitution must answer to and be accountable to the will of we the people.
If we truly do not like the way our government is running then we have the right, the freedom, the power AND the responsibility as citizens of this greatest of nations to crash phone lines and servers, walk into their offices, visit every public appearance and yes cast our vote until this government, "of the people by the people and for the people, " once again understands that they do not tell us how this country is run but it is we the people who demand and hold them accountable to what we expect and the direction this nation is going.
Our voice if expressed loud enough will shape candidate platforms, create and make into law good legislation and even force the Supreme Court and the lower courts to abide strictly by the Constitution. None of this will happen until we as a nation of free citizens decide to MAKE it happen. Become a political activist. Follow the examples of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and Adams and give this nation of the people a new birth that follows a Constitution whose words though nearly 220 years old are as fresh and alive and pertinent today as they were in 1788.
Ken Taylor
posted by The Liberal Lie The Conservative Truth | 10:23 AM
3 Comments:
Great Post Ken,
The Silent Majority Is Silent NO More :-)
You're right Marie, not that I was EVER silent. But now we can be heard.
Ken: I was thinking along similar lines this weekend with the passage of the bill guaranteeing protection for those reporting suspicious activity.
And even more so, when the amendment our oft-wavering Senator Graham proposed to add $3 billion to the Homeland Security budget for border security.
The message seems to be getting through. And all those who claimed that Democrat control of Congress was based largely on opposition to the Iraq War are proving WRONG, WRONG and MMMMOOOORRRREEE WRONG!
2008? BRING IT ON!!!!
I have to admit that this "breath of fresh air" has had a profound effect on me, personally -- prior to the recent advent of We, The People reminding our politicians who they work for and seeing our will come to fruition, I had begun to lose my faith in our political system as they were ignoring their respective constituencies in order to pursue their own political agendas.
The failure of the immigration "reform" bill and the retrieval of the John Doe referendum, due only to our collective grass-roots involvement have served to reaffirm my confidence that our system still works -- with the added benefit that our complacent politicians are now on notice that we are, indeed, watching.
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