"A republic, by which I mean a government in which the scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect and promises the cure for which we are seeking." -- James Madison, letter to William Hunter, 1790
Today this phrase would take a whole new meaning by using the word “scheme” to describe the representation of those elected to represent. Does the word "Ponzi" come to mind? All indications are the “scheme” today, is to mislead the public into believing the elected have the public’s best interest at heart. It appears the elected have found many effective ways to retain their seat, while attaining wealth and power for themselves through back room deals virtually foolproof. Their lawyers/advisors/predecessors have taught them well.
To change this behavior it is no longer enough for you just to vote. Ask yourself, "What extra can I do/give to make this change happen?" It can be an extra handshake or two and some additional conversation to make someone understand that the issues are not insurmountable. It could be joining a group of conservatives, true conservatives, that believe in our Constitution, the law of the land. The fact of the matter is that YOU must do more than just vote; you must become active.
When Madison uttered these words in 1790 he was referring to a cure and the elimination of the dictatorial powers of King George. Unless you want to begin the process all over again, fighting dictatorial powers from within our own country, I suggest we all begin doing a little extra starting today.
Steve Ramey -- American, USMC Vietnam Veteran and Freedom lover
13 October 2012.
Semper Fidelis et Vigilo!
If you want to gather with people who believe in the Constitution, then joining a group of conservatives is not your best bet. * Many, if not most, conservatives, believe that voting is a privilege and not a Constitutional right, and they're happy to rescind the "privilege" from anybody who might vote against their favored candidates. * Many, if not most, conservatives believe that the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution--from which the right to privacy is partially derived--is an "ink blot" (Justice Robert Bork's words). * Many, if not most, conservatives don't believe in the separation of church and state. * Many, if not most, conservatives believe that corporations--state-chartered pieces of paper established exclusively to promote commerce and which can be created and dissolved on a whim--have constitutional rights. The list goes on. Add the fact that conservatives (so-called) are continually trying to amend the Constitution to their liking (anti-abortion amendments, anti-flag burning amendments, repeal the Sixteenth Amendment amendments, anti-gay marriage amendments,...), and the picture becomes even clearer. You've heard of cafeteria Catholicism? Today's conservatives are cafeteria constitutionalists. They pick and choose the parts they like, dismiss the parts they don't, and then claim to love the Constitution more than you do.
Democrat vote make no difference. Bye Bye.
From red to purple, one person at a time! :)
What we have to choose from won't change until more people really get involved.
"The fact that I choose not to exercise my right to vote does mean I'm stupid or a drug addict" I rest my case. Amy accuses me of being an alcoholic and then admits to being stupid or a drug addict. I'm thinking both. Amy, please never change. Never vote. WOW!
What do you want to change about this country? Tell me a time when you've voted for a candidate because you wanted something to change, and the change did come?
And to answer the question put to R- Ronald Reagan. Then, his policies were still working when Bill Clinton came along. Bill Clinton listened to republicans, and republicans compromised until they came up with a solution (contract with America), and we had the most prosperous time in history to date. Unfortunately, the liberal side of him took over and we had the housing boon- the rest is history. Does it make a difference? Yes.
Most people Chris, can figure out that I'm a bad typist and I don't proofread. And sleep even easier, I will NEVER vote.
But, right now, I'm in partial agreement with you since we've had voter fraud, and the electoral college has become such a joke. But the point others are trying to make is this: Do we roll over and let it happen, or do we try to stop it? That's what the TEA Party tried to do, and they DID influence a lot. It was made up of fed up people, republicans, Democrats, and a lot of Independents, of all races and creeds. Unfortunately, media manipulation tries to keep people from knowing that. They found out early on that if you cry "racist!" that there is afaction of people that will repeat after them. Sad, but true. Nothing more than parrots. But, I've talked to a lot of them - across the spectrum and it has been encouraging. Our freedoms are too precious to let them be taken.
Thank you for the invitation and the offer. Unfortunately, I don't think that I'd be a very good fit for your organization. To be clear, I don't know your positions on the issues that I delineated in my original post. On the other hand, I'm very familiar with the positions espoused by most who consider themselves to be conservative and/or Republican. So, if your views differ from the generalizations that I asserted, then I'd be happy to have you clarify. Again, if we love our Constitution, then we best express that love by interpreting it honestly, even when it says things that don't like...not by carrying it around in our pockets. Also, it's contradictory to claim that one loves the Constitution more than others while finding it so flawed that it needs several new amendments to fix it. Finally, I don't know whether to admire or fear your passion for our country. You wrote, "When Madison uttered these words in 1790 he was referring to a cure and the elimination of the dictatorial powers of King George. Unless you want to begin the process all over again, fighting dictatorial powers from within our own country..." What do you mean by "the process?" Are you talking about a war? Forgive me if I've misunderstood, but that statement made it sound like you're considering starting or participating in another civil war if enough free and fair elections don't go your way. (If so, then some might call that treason.) Again, feel free to clarify.