AMERICA NEEDS OUR HELP

“IF YOU DON’T VOTE, THEN YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO COMPLAIN.”  About anything.

Not about our government, our civil rights, or any of our laws.

But if you DO vote, your ballet entitles you to bitch and whine about everything.

What a bunch of . . . baloney.

The election is over and the dust has settled, and whether our guy won or lost, we’re all acting as if the only thing left to do is cross our fingers and hope for the best.

I say:  IF ALL YOU DO IS VOTE,  THEN YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO COMPLAIN, EVER.

We cast our ballets and go home. And that’s that. We’ve done our job. And we feel humbled and proud, because we’ve been told that voting is our single greatest duty as American citizens.

And we believed it.

It is ignorant and unproductive to think that our responsibility ends there. And it’s this lazy spoiled attitude that has contributed to today’s political mess. Everyone’s pointing fingers and blaming the other guy’s party. Not me. I’m pointing a blaming finger too, but not at them. At us. You and me.

Because we stopped paying attention.

We became a herd of complacent grazing sheep, until suddenly one day, instead of a mouthful of grass, we found ourselves with a mouthful of dirt. Then we noticed. Then we finally raised our confused little heads, took a good spit, and started making some noise.

We’ve been lax, careless, and way too trusting.

We have work to do and voting is only the first step. As American citizens and government employers, it is also our job:  to ensure that our officials (employees) perform their duties by acting in the best interest of this country, to ensure that they are diligent and efficient, and to hold accountable those whose performance is not up to par.

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But what can I do?

• Educate yourself. Read a book or a newspaper. Google something. Watch the news. Listen to talk radio. Open your mind. Learn.

• Use your voice. Write or email your representatives and express your concerns, support, or opposition to votes, bills, or even their performance. But communicate intelligently so you aren’t dismissed as a crazy ranter.

• Join an online discussion group. Find like-minded friends and discuss ways to bring about positive change.

• Contribute to your community. Donate time. Match your availability and skills to an organization. It’s easier than you might think.

• Choose a cause. Whoever said, “You can’t fight City Hall!” lacked passion and courage. If you strongly disagree with something, research it, get some assistance, and find a way to change it.

• Volunteer. Work for your party or a specific politician.

• Attend a town meeting. Invite friends.

• Host a fundraiser or debate.

• Rally and protest. There is power in the collective.

• STOP the mean spiritedness. It’s ugly and divisive. We should expect more from our elected officials and ourselves. We are done a disservice by allowing party politics, mudslinging, and name-calling to distract us from the real issues.

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America needs our passion and all of our voices; but most of all, she needs our involvement. We can’t continue to deem ourselves small and powerless, and use that as an excuse to do nothing. Inaction is a choice.

Please don’t listen to the haters and dissuaders. Or to the ignorant, frightened, naysayers who no longer believe in the vision of a healthy prosperous America.

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WE HAVE THE POWER to create a strong and stable country. We need to set a good example, because our children are watching and looking to us. Let’s show them intelligent democracy at work and how to be a responsible American. Let’s be proud of the legacy we leave.

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A new year is upon us . . . a time for resolutions and change. A time for all of us to get smart, get involved, and start helping one another. It’s never too late to take a step forward.

That’s how we make things better.

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So, what are YOU going to do?

Are you going to sit back and bask in victory while secretly hoping like hell that it all just works out?

Are you going to spend the next four years bitching and whining about everything while doing nothing to change it?

I challenge you to do more.

I believe in the power of one person to bring about change. And I believe that the answers to our problems lay somewhere in the middle of the isle, in compromise, and in the best of all parties.

Some may call me an idealist or a bleeding heart. Others, naïve. Still others will label me a bipolar with grandiose ideas. They are all a little right. But I don’t care.

I think that those who believe in wildly wonderful, seemingly impossible things are the ones who make them happen. Call me crazy.

I love this country. And I still believe.

My friends, America needs our help.

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