Lets pretend for a moment that our opinion actually mattered. Politicians would listen to what we had to say, we would have fewer illegal aliens, lower taxes, more prosperity and we would know who our current President really was. We of the silver brigade constitute 1/3 of the voting public yet we are largely ignored. Evangelical Christians account for 60% of the voting public yet they too are ignored. Why you might well ask? The answer is money, money and power.
News syndicates like the Associated Press, Tribune Media Services, Los Angeles Times Syndicate, New York Times Syndicate together with wealthy billionaires like George Soros, Warren Buffet the Walton family and more run our country and they do it because they know they have the power. More than that they put their money where their mouth is. When is the last time you showed up to a political meeting or community political forum? How may candidates have you donated to there political campaigns? The rich and wealthy do, they show up, they speak, they support and they donate.
The problem is that we have become politically apathetic and that has led to political impotence. Even those of us who are active are so divided that we cancel each other out. The rich and wealthy, the powerful have a much narrower focus, they are very active and they vote. How many of you have donated $100 to a political candidate? $50? Anything? And to how many candidates? Even though the wealthy write checks for thousands if each of us could get behind one candidate and donate just $50 each that candidate would most likely win. Over 41% of the rich donate to a candidate or cause while only 13% of the rest of us do.
If all of us showed up to every political meeting and forum in our area and made our wishes known all the time we, as a group, would have the ear of our politicians more often. 90% of life is just showing up and our problem is that the top 10% do while we do not. The average American household is struggling to make ends meet but not so much that we can't donate to a political candidate or cause now and again. We are pretty passionate about donating to churches and various charities but if more of that energy were directed into the political process, politicians would pay more attention.
But as things are, the rich and powerful are more engaged in the political process both personally and financially so their preferences are better heard while we are mostly ignored. It's not right but it's the fact and as long as things continue along this path nothing will change.
I agree with what you said here. But the argument generally falls on deaf ears, when most people don't have the time to be involved. When you're young and struggling-working hard to make a living to support a family. Most young people live beyond their means and therefore don't have the money to donate. By the time they realize that they need to be involved, they again don't have the time, or the money, kids are in school-school activities, church, sports, and the other things young pepole get involved in. By this time their attitude towards all things political is tainted, partly by the media, partly by their experience, but mostly by the politicians themselves. Even the silver brigade finds it difficult to give time and money too unreliable, and dishonest politicians. Yes we need to support the good ones, and we need to send a message-a very strong message to anyone who says they will represent the people, and then go Washington(state or local governments) and do nothing. We can donate money, go to political rallies, town hall meetings, support political party or candidate, but we also must make these individuals realize that they work for us. A few groups/organizations/and individuals will correspond with their representatives when they are doing good, but not enough of us show disappointed with them when they're not. There's a criteria to remove elected officials from office when they've proven that they cannot do the job/or will not do the job, to conduct governments in an orderly fashion. Yet the Congress and the senate, state and local government offices are full of career politicians who are not doing the job for the people. Now you might think I'm a bit cynical and maybe I am. But I believe two earned my trust and get my money. Anyone running for political office knowing full well that their competition and the media will ripe them apart, they need to be upfront about what they've done, and what they will do. Politics and politicians should be transparent not government for personal profit/not government behind closed doors. For way to long the media, the rich, and the unions have had the power and the money to get their candidate elected. Liberals have AARP and now we have Amac, start a chapter in your neighborhood, tell a friend, ask someone you don't know if they know about us? If you want your donations $$to count for something? There's strength in numbers-help make us stronger.
Even those of us who are active are so divided that we cancel each other out.
Yes, this is indeed a problem. Here in the Wisconsin primary we currently have 4 Republicans running for US Senate. The ads are terrible. They are tearing each other down to the point that many may think why would anyone vote for any of them. They are a ALL bad.
The primary is coming up in about 2 weeks, thank God those horrible ads will be gone.
I also agree we all need to be more engaged in politics, whether it be by donation or volunteerism, or both.
For years I always said, what can I do?
So I wrote, called, e-mailed, and faxed my representatives about various issues. All I ever seemed to get back from any of them (with a few exceptions) was a form letter saying something like "thanks for bringing that to my attention, but I will vote the other way because...
I am currently voluteering at the Republican Headquarters in my area when they need help. It has been interesting to meet all the people there who have similar beliefs. I also find it comforting to know that I am not the only one who thinks this way, as the media would lead one to believe. I am also energized by the young volunteers and their zeal for the candidates, along with their thorough knowledge of politics, history, the constitution, and current issues. I know that there is still hope for this country, because not all young people just follow the liberal politically correct mantra that their teachers, the media, and politicians have told them to follow.
I also agree that nothing will change if we ALL do not become involved in the process, either with our time, our money, or both. Without our ideas, input, cash, and hard work not a thing will ever change. It will in fact continue down the long slippery slope we have been on for quite some time if we fail to do anything to change it.
So get off your butts and help in any and every way you can. This is not the country of liberal/socialist politicians and their cronies and supporters...
This is YOUR country, work hard to get it back the way it should be, the way our forefathers designed it.
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...IF it were possible for Muslims to co-exist with others, there would be Christian Churches and Jewish Synagogues in Mecca.
