I know that I have only been aware of this countries political arena, side shows and grandstand events, for a measly 30+ odd years (the first 10 years or so, nothing beyond family and immediate friends counted in my life, therefore I do not count them) yet I have noticed the drastic turns and devastating twists that has occurred in the last 20 years. These twists and turns have taken the American citizenry and made it all but criminal to be not just a citizen, but a citizen with a voice, and a demand of one's Rights coupled with the education and knowledge of said Rights and an understanding of Civil Laws or the Constitution.
I fondly remember, while in school, taking classes such as Social Studies and Civics, which gave to me an understanding of not only what Laws were and how they actually work, from inception to enforcement, but also just what Government was and how it worked. We studied all three branches of our 'great democracy' and how it was designed to allow for checks and balances and how it was made to keep the People in power through representation and accountability of Government. Later in life, I got involved in Civil Liberties, a bit of Activism, and regularly exercised my civil rights of free speech, peaceful protesting, free press, and free exercise of religion. Much I did learn by actually actively exercising my civil rights, and first and foremost, I learned that Government officials do not like it when we stand up for ourselves and not only question 'what is going on', but demand from them corrective actions and more specifically, accountability of and by them for current government or National circumstances.
I was aware of the events and decisions, of certain government officials, without citizen voice or consent, that began placing certain Laws that began chocking our Civil Rights put into place by the US Constitution and supposedly protected by our US Government. I observed as our Civil Rights were slowly limited in action-ability and restricted or regulated by 'government officials', as if we needed permission to use them, and only by their regulation and conditions. I Grew even more concerned as our Civil Rights and our Social benefits, be them of Social Security, Medicare/ Medicaid, Retirement, Military benefits and retirement, all which are initially invested in by the recipient, which includes unemployment benefits, put into place to assure our citizens and help stabilize our economy and posterity as well as reward those who have invested into the government by service and income. What alarmed me most, however, is when the government began alluding to these Civil Rights and Social benefits as 'Entitlements' and tried to sway 'public opinion' to see these 'Entitlements' as a bad thing and that these people are not just undesirable in asking for these 'entitlements', but are almost underhandedly destroying the Nation by demanding these 'entitlements'.
Now, I am not so naive to believe that the American Citizen has no blame in the current situations and National position of our country, however I am not so ignorant on how this Nation got to this point in our history. I do recall, I do remember. What the current established and seated government has seemed to forgotten, is that we little citizens, with all our demands and selfish claims upon this country, all have a memory that reminds us of what we are 'entitled to' by the governmental writ best known to us by the Bill of Rights and the US Constitution. It is my belief and understanding to what was taught to me by my schools and my freedom to explore and question my government, that this Nation was born of the People, by the People, and for the People, and was not to the Corporations, the rich, nor foreign interests or banks, which, by the way, now claims possession of these rights and accuses the citizenry of unlawful and illegal action by demanding that these rights and benefits be returned to them and that the active government officials be held accountable for allowing the Nation to be victim of said entities that are NOT individuals by definition but have Civil Rights by Law! ???
How did we become so far removed from our Civil Rights? How did all these limitations and restrictions come into play? The shortest explanation would be ; 'apathy'. Also it could be; 'ignorance'. Mostly it is complacency, passive submission, and dis-interest for 'fear of getting into trouble' for speaking out. How soon we forgot that the Laws were designed, originally, to protect the people from the dictation of a corrupt government. And slowly, yet purposely, these Laws, these Civil Rights, were chocked, limited and restricted, by the seated government and the directing or controlling forces behind these decisions. Yes, there is something beyond our own Government, with the power and a voice louder and more influential than the Citizens of this Nation that has taken the control and concerns of the citizens out of the Government as it stands today. In less than 3 generations, we lost our Government to; financial institutions (both US and foreign), multinational corporations, foreign business and governments, corrupt government officials and to GREED.
Somehow, Corporations have become the focus of civil liberties and not the Citizens. Business's are given tax cuts, tax breaks, economic stimulus and free money, all without much of regulation nor requirement of responsibility nor a duty to be held accountable for. Yet citizen are demanding 'entitlements', 'freeloading off the Government'. I can care less of the 'wealth dispersement' issue that seems to be taking center-stage here lately, I am most concerned with the 'revolving and circulating' economic health of the Nation, and it is almost dead. Soon, it will not matter how much money we have, it will be worthless if we cannot get get our government to 'take control back' from these master puppeteers!
In the meantime, I encourage you to exercise your rights, get strong within them. Educate yourself in the Laws that govern our Government. Question everything, and do not just accept demands that limit, regulate, restrict and deny your Civil Rights and liberties. Stand up to corruption. Demand accountability of these Bankers, these government officials, and yes even the US Supreme Courts. You do not have to be a politician to be an active citizen.
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