-Eleanor Roosevelt with the children of the American Revolution in front of the White House
I'm Asking - Not Telling - "argue for your limitations and they are yours."
How do we take back America? I am asking you to share how we do this, but here are some of my thoughts:
We need to take back power, of which we have very little at this time. Can we assume, if Sen. Obama reaches the oval office, all will be well again? I don't think so. I have always been a "whittle the problem down to the lowest common denominator" kind of gal. The mentality of America right now is very "us" and "them." "They" are in charge of "us." "They" make the decisions - "we" follow them. Sen. Obama during this past debate of 10-15-08, addressed the American people - looked us in the eye on camera when speaking. Sen. McCain scribbled on a notepad vigorously. Sen. McCain continuously degraded Sen. Obama, and Sen. Obama continuously brought the focus back to the American people and their needs.
So, the issues facing America and Americans are enormous. Sen. Obama has long-term solutions for the ills that face this country. Sen. McCain has a quick fix. I know that if I had cancer, feeling better immediately would be great, but oblierating the cancer would be far better in the end. I can handle some pain if I know that eventually it will be gone for good.
Our government is made up of public servants. That means they were put into office to serve us. At this time, I don't feel very served - I feel ordered and violated. And I feel that they are lining their pockets with my blood, sweat and tears. How dare them, and how dare they get away with it!
When I saw the bailout of our economy all over the news, and my husband said to me "if Bush likes it, it can't be good," I thought how right he was. Mortgage companies made billions with their dirty tactics in lending, many of us lost our homes, are now losing their homes, and now they want us to be taxed to pay for their greed. I'm not okay with that. That is only a small sampling of all of the greed that is going on in the higher echelons of our society.
Most of us work too many hours. We are raising children. We are struggling to get by. Our government counts on that. We are too busy to question their tactics. We need to put an end to being complacent. Below are steps we can take to change America.
Educate yourself: With the internet at our disposal, there is no excuse for being ignorant. If you don't have a computer, every library has them. Our public education system is piss poor. Does this mean you are going to get a college degree? Not if you can't afford one, but you can learn and be wise. This is not only knowledge of our government, but in every aspect of your lives. Knowledge is power.
Vote: Because of the "us" and "them" mentality, many people do not believe their vote means anything. There are also many that are nervous about voting, how to do it, where to go. This blog promotes knowledge and power and will never allow embarrassment of anyone that wants to know. Ask! This year more than any other year is a crucial election. Every vote really does count. As my grandfather once said, "you don't have a right to bitch if you don't vote."
Get Involved: This is the first election I have become intimately involved. I am doing data entry for the Obama Headquarters in Florida. I am volunteering. I attended a strategy meeting to see how else I can help. I am not special and I certainly do not have the time with my busy schedule of a 12 hour workday, a husband, two kids, four animals, and a house to upkeep. I did not think I would have much to offer, but they were thrilled for any time I could give, even if only 15 minutes here and there. I didn't think I would feel much by doing this, but surprisingly, I actually feel quite empowered. Any contribution to bettering America is better than doing nothing at all.
Teach Your Children: We all do it. We get home and we are tired. Educating our children is not always high on our list of things to do, but the great thing about kids is they are sponges. Rock your baby and read them the paper. Babies don't care - the book does not have to be about the little train that could. They love black and white newsprint and as long as you read with a cute voice, they will listen. Watch the news or documentaries and talk to them. By nature, most kids are nosy, talk about something you heard, change the names, and get a good moral lesson in there. They won't be the wiser. Pretend to be interested in what they are doing, even if you are not. Life lessons interjected in what they are doing that doesn't come off as a lecture get through the best. If you are tired, take a nap with your kid - this way you get rest, they get parent time with cuddling and closeness. Some of my best conversations with my mom were while trying to take a nap. We would talk, laugh til we cried, I would get lots of hugs, and and those times made me feel special. When you are out and about and you see an injustice done, point it out, not in lecture tone, but to say, "oh, that is so sad, why would anyone do that." Kids hear you. Children truly are our future.
Get to know the people around you - no matter what color or ethnic group. If you struggle with this, don't do it in large doses. While at the store, offer to help someone non-white. See where it takes you. A random act of kindness opens all kind of doors. You would be surprised how alike we all are.
Question Authority: Our U.S. government and our local government is comprised of human beings. All human beings make mistakes. Question decisions that are made at these levels. Know your rights and what you can do when you are not happy with a decision that was made. Write to your politicians and demand action. If you don't believe that time and time again people have done this and gotten results. There is no doubt that better results come from bigger numbers of people, but even one person can get satisfaction.
These are only a few suggestions.