A Citizen's Duty

The elections are in a few weeks and the ad blitz is going full tilt. Lots of full scale propoganda is issuing forth from both the Democratics and Republicans. For the most part is it all b.s. Each side is trying to make points with us voters. "So and so voted against this bill and that means he's siding with the terrorists!" [A note - the citizens of this great nation are smarter than that, guys. They know that terrorists are not, on the whole, very polite. They do not come up their intended victims and ask, "Excuse me... Republican or Democrat? Oh, you're a Democrat? Then please go stand over there so you won't get hurt when I explode this bomb."] It's just ignorant to accuse another lawmaker of helping Osama and his crowd.

So here's what we citizens need to do: study the candidates. I know, that cuts into your time watching Lost and other such things, but this is YOUR government after all. Forgot that, did you? (They prefer you do. It makes it so much easier for them.) In all honesty, we're the reason it's in such a mess. We've let the inmates run the asylum. We've not held their toes to the fire. And in the process They (and by They I mean BOTH Democrats and Republicans) are destroying what's really cool about this country.

It's time to do your homework -- read what the candidates say and then drill down through the 'spin'. Send them an e-mail and ask questions. If you get b.s. back (nine times out of ten you will) then go back after them for a straight answer. You wouldn't tolerate this kind of stupidity from an employee and yet you'll let your elected officials get away with just about everything.

Electing a government is a major life decision. Do your civic duty. VOTE. If not, in twenty-five years the Iraqis might have to help us execute a regime change to restore our democracy.

Now that's a sobering thought.