They were all important questions about the future of our
nation. They were important questions about fixing the culture of politics in
the nation’s capital: how to deal with the national debt, how to get our
Supreme Court out of Politics; how to break the stranglehold that big money
interests have on our government.
I tried to make it easy for them. Each package included an
extra copy of the survey and a self addressed, stamped envelope to return the
original when filled out.
Only one of the 23 candidates responded. Donald Trump.
Mr. Trump’s staff used my postage stamp to send me a nice
form letter thanking me for supporting his campaign, assuring me that he is
interested in whatever I am interested in, and enclosing a TRUMP bumper
sticker.
Pathetic.
Millions, billions, of dollars are being spent on the 2016
Presidential campaign. Hours and hours of television are being consumed by talk
shows, interviews, advertising and debates. To what end?
Have the American people completely given up on democracy?
Have we completely abandoned the idea that we are a free people, competent to
select representatives who can make the laws that protect our lives, our
liberty and our pursuit of happiness?
Are we so supine and indifferent to our welfare, security
and happiness; so ignorant of our history, so distracted from our civic duties,
that we want only a chance to wrangled over who will be our imperial leader?
I watch the parade of those candidates – from both major
political parties – and I hear them ticking off all the problems with our
government, all the real and imaginary difficulties associated with living in
the United States, all the challenges we face as a nation, and the only
solution anyone proposes is “elect me, “ “I will be your leader,” “I can fix
everything.”
Election of an American President has become the ultimate
‘Mister or Miss America Contest.” All that matters is popularity. All that
matters is “Who do you like?” It’s a vast, nationwide, two year reality show.
The talking heads on television are making a lot of noise
about “outsider” candidates, the point being that the public seems to be more
interested in electing a President who has never held public office than a
President who has been a professional politician.
It’s sort of like people on a bus who have no idea where
they are going, and all they want is to get someone to drive the bus who has
never driven a bus before.
Isn’t it time to return to first principles? Who decides the
laws? What laws should be national and which should be left to the States? How
should we elect Congress Members and how should they function? Who decides to
send our young people into battle? Can the Supreme Court amend the
Constitution?
The great French Philosopher, Alexis de Tocqueville, warned
us against the “despotism of democratic nations” that arises when government
imposes a network of small, complicated rules which can boggle the best of
minds and stupefy the people, leading them to think that they can preserve
their freedom simply by electing a new set of masters.
De Tocqueville believed that democracies only last until the
people decide that they can vote themselves rich. A constitution that is
nothing more than a grant of absolute power to a ruling class of political
elite is not a constitution at all: it is no longer the Supreme Law of the land
given by the sovereign hand of the whole people and confirmed by each
generation’s conscious decision not to change its words.
Can we not agree to ask our candidates for President this
one simple question: DO YOU SUPPORT A CONVENTION TO PROPOSE CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS THAT THE CONGRESS REFUSES TO CONSIDER?
Judge: your frustration is well placed. Washington has learned that they can lead the electoral majority of sheep to slaughter every 4 years with a package of handouts and strategically placed set of ad blitzes. The American people have forfeited their important electoral check and balance on Washington. Too many voters are too easily suckered into giving their vote away to the candidate with the most handouts. Integrity, truth and other such virtues are irrelevant and Washington knows it. Only the disaster associated with a bankrupt and failed economy that can squarely be blamed on the corruption of Washington is likely to re-focus the public on electing responsible people to office. We are doomed.
ReplyDeleteJudge:
ReplyDeleteAs usual, you are adept at clarifying what is wrong with our country and the people we continue to elect. As such, this is the reason for the popularity of non-politicians in the current crop of Republican candidates for presidents.
I am extremely disappointed that Dr. Carson and Senator Cruz did not respond to your letter.
A couple of other points: Mr. Trump is one of the very few candidates who continues to express concern about we veterans and we appreciate it. And secondly, I have seen only Trump and Cruz at a TEA Party meeting.
As always, we readers are grateful for your continued support of The Convention of States. This may be the only way "We The People" can save our country!
David:
ReplyDeleteNot doomed. Never doomed. We must persevere. We shall succeed. We shall overcome the inertia, the arrogance.
The Fivers have to realize that theirs is a political movement, and needs all the whoop and holler associated with political campaigns.
Why won’t COS, CFA, BBA etc. endorse the simple notion of asking Presidential candidates the question:
DO YOU SUPPORT A CONVENTION TO PROPOSE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS THAT CONGRESS OPPOSES?