We The People must stay informed. Thomas Jefferson believed an educated citizenry was vital for the survival of free people. But how many Americans even know what form of government we have? Are we a democracy or a republic? Does the average person even know the difference? Does it really matter? To that, I answer a resounding, YES! My challenge to everyone is to read the Constitution of the United States before stepping into the voting booth on November 8th. Education leads to empowerment, ignorance to bondage.
We The People should not feel an obligation to vote for the lesser of two evils. A vote should be in favor of a particular person, not against the opposition candidate. A vote is a way to express the belief we find common ground with a candidate. While no candidate will ever meet all of our ideals that does not mean we have to settle for mediocrity. Americans must expect more from those that seek to represent our nation. We must hold elected officials to the highest of standards. Character counts. Honesty matters and is sorely lacking in politics today. Voters must demand Humility from those that run and expect genuine Compassion. Accountability is paramount. If the person on the ballot does not meet or exceed your pre-determined expectations, don’t vote for him or her. Find a better candidate even if that means going outside our two-party system.
We The People need to demand ethical leadership. Politics as usual and the current political discourse must come to an end. In these days we need leaders, men and women alike, who believe as President Washington did when he said, “I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.”
We The People possess the power. The ability to vote is an incredible gift. One bequeathed by those that forfeited their wealth, their safety, and in a few cases their very life to pass along that freedom. We must not be content to squander it away and vote for men and women who are undeserving of the privilege to serve as an elected official.
We The People can change our government. If enough citizens become dissatisfied, they have the ability and I dare say the responsibility to effect a positive change. We can’t expect elected officials to make the country better. Only We The People can demand reform.
We The People will either stand together or fall. This is OUR country. The elected officials, including the President of the United States, work for US! The founders of the United States of America had the tremendous foresight to realize the inherent dangers of creating a new nation. America was a radical experiment, one that could have failed many times, yet the institution created over 200 years ago has endured. It is up to all American’s to see that it continues. As President Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” Let us renew ourselves once more and strive for the ideals that made our nation the land of the free and the home of the brave. Only as a unified and moral people can we pass along to our posterity the blessings and freedoms granted to all of us in the CONSTITUTION. Never forget where the true power lies. With We The People.