-- Introduction
The men who were our Founding Fathers and who drafted the
United States Constitution; attempted to create a perfect
document for the regulation of our Public Affairs. They drew upon
their own, personal experiences, as well as learning the Civic
Lessons gained by looking back to Ancient Rome, and the Greek,
Athenian, Democracy.
Unfortunately, they brought with them the prejudices of their
Time, (which were also the Beliefs that had been prevalent thru
out History -- to include in their Sources of Inspiration in Ancient
Rome and Greece.) We have been struggling to address two of
the concepts that they labored with and that compromised their
deliberations. (One was the issue of Slavery; which was resolved
by a great Civil War and the abolition of Slavery; and the other is
Equal Rights for Women, which is a problem that we are still
working to resolve in a satisfactory manner.)
There are several other problems that prevent us from reaching
the goal that the Founding Fathers had envisioned and that stop
us from enjoying the full benefits of a true Democracy. If we would
try to correct those problems, we can work to improve our
Government and we might create the type of Society the
Founding Fathers had hoped to achieve.
"A Government of the People, by the People, for the People."
-- Term Limits
Term limits are necessary to insure --
a Public Accountability of our Elected Officials.
When a person is allowed to stay in Office for an extended
period of time, they begin to assume that the Power, Privilege,
and Prestige; of that Office belongs exclusively to them and
not to the General Public. And, after this Feeling of Ownership
has occurred, they start to think of themselves as being the
physical embodiment of that Office and they are tempted to
use that Office for their own Personal Benefit.
It is in the Public Interest to establish strict Term Limits on all
of our Elected Civil Service Posts.
Two Terms in Office -- is a reasonable restriction to impose on
each Elected Position.
While -- Twenty Years in Total -- is a fair limitation to set for
the Time Spent in Public Service.
The people who hold Public Office are not indispensable.
The essence of our Civil Union, our Government, has existed
for Centuries before they entered into Public Service and it will
continue to function -- long after they are gone. There is no
justifiable reason for anyone to stray in Office for a prolonged
period of time. And if we want to have a Political System that
is truly submissive to the Will of the People, then we must
have set Term Limits.
-- Personality Cults
Thru out History, people have looked for a "strong man" who
would take charge of the situation, protect them from all harm,
and lead them to a "better place."
Most of the time, the strong Leaders have been
disappointing ... they have abused their Power, and used it for
the satisfaction of their own Personal Goals and -- not for the
benefit of the General Public.
And for far too many times, their Self Serving, Aggressive,
Personality has taken us down the path to War and to a
further abuse of their Power.
So long as we depend upon a Dominate Personality to lead
us, we will run the risk of having our Society descend down
into all of the intolerance, and aggression, that exists as a by-
product of their personality. We don't need to put ourselves in
a situation where we are helpless and we have become
dependent upon the "Whim" of our Rulers for our Security.
We should not be concentrating our Political Power in the
hands of just a few; we don't need to have a strong President,
Prime Minister, Chancellor, Dictator, or Tyrant; in control of our
lives. We can manage our affairs, (quite well Thank You) , with
a Council of Representatives (made up of people who will
offer us a more moderate Republican Form of Leadership.)
We don't need to place all of our Political Power under the
control of some power hungry "strong man." We can handle
our Public Policies in a more democratic manner, without
the "help" of a Tyrant .
-- Political Parties
Political Parties exist for the benefit of the Party Members, not for
the benefit of the General Population.
They appeal to certain groups of constituents within our Society,
and that is how they win their Support, their Votes, (and their
"Campaign Contributions.") But their main objective is not Public
Service but is instead, to get themselves elected, and re-elected,
and to find Jobs for their Supporters.
It would be helpful if We the People had a real say in our Elections
and we could go beyond what the major Political Parties have to
offer. It would be interesting to see what would happen if all the
Ballots had a space at the bottom for "None of the Above." And
the Public Offices were filled by way of Civil Service Examination
instead of Political Patronage. It would offer us a purer form of
Democracy and allow us to have more control over the Electoral
Process.
So long as the Political Parties are strong and continue to
exercise a dominating control over our Elections, then we will
have Individuals whose loyalty is, first and foremost, to their
Political Party and -- not the People.
This needs to change.
-- The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has exceeded its authority.
It has taken upon itself the Right to declare a Law to be
Constitutional or Unconstitutional. There is no such Authority
granted to it by the Constitution and all such rulings made in this
manner are in themselves -- Unconstitutional.
The High Court does not have the Right to rule on the Validity of
the Law. They were only supposed to rule on the Application
of the existing Law. So long as the Supreme Court has the authority
to "make up" new laws in accordance to its own interpretation of
the Constitution, (which is usually based on the Philosophical
Orientation or the Personal Desire of the Justices), then the High
Court will remain as a threat to our duly established Laws.
The Supreme Court is a Wide Card that poses a danger to the
stability of our Society. It needs to have its Powers clearly
restricted to those statutes that have been approved and made
into law by our Elected Representatives .
We are a Nation of Laws, not Personal Mandates. There is not
one single Individual nor Branch of the Government that is above
the Law. And that includes -- the Supreme Court.
-- Conclusion
Change can occur -- at the Ballot Box.
Reform can be brought about -- by our Votes.
Those of us who wish to protect our Democracy, and who would
strengthen the Bastions of Liberty that we live by, could prove
their Love of our Country by registering to Vote, as
Independents, and then, at the time of the General Election go
out to Vote! Not as Members of any specific Political Party but as
people who care enough for they Country to vote for the most
responsible Candidate available -- regardless of their Political
Affiliation.
In time those people who are seeking Election to Public Office will
notice the effect our support is having and they will want to help
us as we try to improve our Form of Government. Those who are
responsive to our Issues will get elected and, once in Office, they
can help to Secure our Liberty, as they work to create "a more
perfect Union" for us all.
And they make the American Dream ... a Reality.
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