Attention Americans everywhere...READ THE CONSTITUTION!
The President of the United States is not a monarch, and was never meant to be. The President is also not the most important person in our government. Years of gradual abuse and misuse of the office, lack of proper use of checks and balances, lack of active participation by the majority of citizens and finally the media's love of one-stop-shopping for heroes and scapegoats have fostered and cemented in the national consciousness the fallacy that the President is somehow solely responsible for the state of our nation and lives. Balderdash!
Sadly, people routinely overlook Congress, or merely see them as secondary to the job of governing. Somehow, they forget what we were all taught in our history classes; things like all money bills originate in the House, or that a vote of the Senate is required to formally declare war. For example, if you ask people who the leader of our nation is, they will most likely say, and rightly so, the President. I say rightly because the President is the person who represents us to the rest of the world. He is our "front-man." But, if you ask them the slightly different question, "Who is the leader of our democracy?" they will also probably say the President and that is the wrong answer. The leader of our democracy is the Speaker of the House of Representatives - a position currently held by Ms. Nancy Pelosi of California.
The Constitution provides for the President to be elected by a blending of popular and state consensus. As such, he (or someday, she) is the leader of our union of sovereign states, our Republic. Our democracy is vested solely in the House of Representatives. It is there that officials are elected based on population alone. Most people don't realize this so it should be no surprise that they don't even know who Ms. Pelosi is. Worse, they also don't know who their prime conduit to the Speaker of the House is...their elected representative in the House. Ask 100 people who their Congressional Representative is and I believe most will not know the person's name, let alone how to contact them. How utterly sad.
The point I am trying to make is important for two main reasons. First, that the President is not the be-all and end-all of American politics and government. The other branches of our government are just as important and as Americans, we need to utilize those avenues to seek the changes and results we feel necessary. The power to enact legislation begins with us and flows to Congress. Laws in this country are supposed to be made for the common good, certainly not to secure a power base or win an election. Second, be VERY VERY wary of the promises made by ANY Presidential candidate. Often, the things they discuss are not theirs to promise in the first place. The president may suggest legislation, budgets or resolutions, but these things go nowhere without Congress.
Additionally, you will find that many of the planks of their platforms are not even the job of the federal government. According to the 10th Amendment, if a responsibility isn't specifically given to one of the three branches of the federal government, or if is specifically denied, then it belongs to the states or the people only. Therefore, such issues as abortion, healthcare, education, stem cell research, welfare, family values and gun control, among others, are not the responsibility of the federal government, let alone the President, and candidates shouldn't even be talking about them. These issues require attention, to be sure, but they are the responsibility of the states only.
Too long the federal government has been meddling in affairs to which it has no right. Our government was created as a republic so the states could maintain their sovereignty over most matters and in order to prevent the central government from wielding too much power. The fault for the change in direction from the original ideals of 1787 rests with no one but ourselves. We, as a citizenry, have become complacent. I suppose it's easier to follow a single leader than worry about several.
But that's a lazy approach to citizenship. In truth, our government really has four branches. We are the fourth branch. And if one branch passively surrenders its responsibilities, rest assured that one or more of the others will be willing to step in and assume them. Politics, like nature, also abhors a vacuum. Our general lack of knowledge about the workings of our government is a poor excuse for giving away our individual rights, or those of our states.
So, please, read the Constitution, word for word. Discuss and debate it with others. It's certainly more important than Britney or Paris and I'm sure you'll find it more interesting. Then, when you vote in the primaries, caucuses or general election for President, make sure the candidate you choose isn't just saying things you want to hear. Make sure they really understand the job for which they are applying - not just its powers, but also its limits!
More on this to come...the rant has only just begun!
No comments:
Post a Comment