Are you waiting for the filibuster?

I'm very much looking forward to it.

Just be ready, one way or another. No matter whether the filibuster succeeds or fails, November 2006 is going to have the turnout of a hotly-contested Presidential election. If you don't regularly vote in your Congressional or local elections, then WHY NOT? ARE YOU INSANE??? Do you have ANY IDEA how much of the ascension in presidential power is due to simple congressional deference?? Have you no...

*pauses*

Pardon me.

If you don't regularly vote in your Congressional or local elections, then please do so this November.

Thank you.

As a Citizen

As a citizen, I have responsibilities to my country. The most basic responsibility is to vote. If the United States is a “government of laws and not men” it is best if I am well informed and able to think critically: otherwise I may act based on the suggestions of others and not from my own thinking. The founding fathers of my government, in particular Thomas Jefferson, recognized the importance of having an EDUCATED citizenry and understood that it was not reasonable to entrust the education of citizens to parents and families. Public schools were formed to ensure an educated citizenry.

What else exists to educate us of our government? Newspapers, televised news broadcasts, blogs….each exists with a different story of what is happening in the world. Few of these sources address the bills before committees in the Senate or the House. When a bill is signed into law by the President, does it make front page news?
In a speech at Constitution Hall on January 16th, 2006, Former Vice-President Al Gore reminded his audience that we live in a country of “laws and not men.” He said that is it time for us to “disenthrall ourselves” from the many voices of television. We need more sources of information; we need a better check and balance on all segments of our national government.

As a citizen, it is my responsibility to gather information on issues and candidates and vote according to my own will and conscious, not according to party lines or a cult of personality. It is difficult to gather information on the bills being proposed on the Hill or even in my local government. Meetings are held last minute. Committee votes are not made public record…..there are many web sites that are watchdogs and help provide access, yet they are also a maze of information—information that maybe meaningless to many who are not trained in the nuances of the language and norms of government process.

I ask: how are we educated as a citizenry to participate? Do you as a citizen feel that there are adequate government forums for discussion or channels to information and transparency into proceedings? What is there to do? But to speak out and ask that those who we have voted for to do their jobs and to remain vigilant to remind them that their constituency is US the people and the laws we believe and trust to protect our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

to read Al Gore's inspiring speak on civil rights and government responsibility, go to:http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Text_of_Gore_speech_0116.html


lets remember to Arm Freedom!