We are living in interesting, dangerous, scary, overwhelming times. You pick the adjective.
The point is, whatever adjective you pick, whatever your political persuasion is, whatever your situation in life is, there is only one person who can make a difference. That person is you! Yes, you.
When writing an article like this, one can use several thousand cliches. There is a quote from one of the Founding Fathers and an essay written during the Revolutionary War that applies.
James Madison said, “The people are the only legitimate fountain of power”. This can only be true if the people exercise that power. For far too long the average citizen has sat on the sidelines and let the “Elites” or the “Ruling Class” run this state and country. s a result, under both major political parties, the true power is not the “people”, the true power is the bureaucracy.
Ask any elected official to explain Public Law 114-148, commonly called “Obamacare”. They cannot, yet how many politicians, still in office voted for “Obamacare”? What has happened of health care costs and health care choices in this country since “Obamacare” became law?
Ask any of the legislators from New Mexico to explain the so-called “Infrastructure Bill”, they cannot. Where have all the billions and billions of dollars actually gone since the infrastructure bill has passed? Explain what percentage will actually go to infrastructure. What do they mean by infrastructure? What accounting process has been set up to track the money? The most important question is, how did your elected representative vote on the infrastructure bill? If they voted the way you wanted, that is a good thing. But can they answer the above questions?
The point is, are you asking your elected representative anything? Do you have your representative’s name, e-mail, phone number, both local offices and Washington D.C. office, if applicable, on your smartphone? Most of us have a smartphone, use it!
“The people are the only legitimate fountain of power”. But you have no power unless you exercise that power. Believe it or not, the politicians really do fear “the people”. But only the people who challenge them, ask questions, work with other people to pursue a common goal make a difference. It is time for all the citizens to make their voices heard.
Thomas Paine wrote these words during some of the darkest days of the Revolutionary War.
“THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods, and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated”
Will you be a “Sunshine Patriot”?
Tom Vaillancourt is a U. S. Navy veteran and retired small business owner. Married with two children and two grandchildren.