Lean Forward

Who IS this fervent woman who leans forward and pays attention and debates the news of the day over dinner? In our house the news is on, and even sometimes the Direct Mix station showing all six at once. What have you done with her?

I am an emerging citizen. Every day I wade through all the stupidity of reporters who watched too many reality shows and are SUPER concerned about the WELFARE of the people in the unbelieveable stories (aka Bubble Boy, Acid Girl). Unbelieveable is right, as in not to be believed. Is the public so undisciplined that we won't sit through 20 minutes of actual news that tells the truth straight up without the supercharged human interest stories? (It's the fault of all those participation trophies we got for placing last in little league. I knew it!)

Informed citizenry. Especially when life is pinching us, Hard, we need to make ourselves informed and aware. For me, diverse viewpoints help me comprehend an issue and I certainly don't believe for a second voting candidates from differing viewpoints will hobble government. I mean, we all mastered the groundrules in kindergarten, right?

I just love those unscripted debates on shows like Meet the Press and the roundtable discussions that impart information and brainstorms about solutions. It is 'no kidding hard work' to be a good citizen and wade through complex issues and agendas filled with persuasive rhetoric. I research topics and still get tangled up in some of the rhetoric and super white smiles of the partisan shows - on both sides of the aisles - that are laced with prejudice and bigotry. 

Not only that. In a country who has laws to protect its diverse citizenship, to vote into office people who do not hold the same protective opinions of civil rights almost guarantees our laws will include the absence of protection for the citizens most vulnerable. If we don't follow the voting records of our legislature, how can we learn what they are up to and in whose pockets they are tucked?

There is neverending dialogue about our country's broad shoulders and the right to better ourselves in whatever way legally possible. It is a free country and we can hold whatever opinions we want.  So let's talk the economic crisis. It has been the opinion on Wall Street that they could freely fleece the country and its people out of their futures with a nod from the Legislature who signed into law the legal loopholes and relaxed regulations to make it possible. Do you still think our founding fathers meant our country to be that free? Seems like Jefferson and his cronies had more faith in us than we deserve.

It all loops back to this whole voting/citizen participation issue. Remember in the movie 'War Games' when Joshua the super computer had to learn the lesson itself to avert a global nuclear war? Sometimes no one wins. Like now:

When citizens put their feet on the desk and rely on something (or someone) else to do the work, no one wins. If we take in what the media feeds us and swallows it whole, and then regurgitate it at the polls, no one wins. When we copy down how Dad is voting, or mimick friends, no one wins. When we vote straight party lines without exploring who they really are and what that really means, no one wins.

Our individual intellectual power needs to weigh in at the polls or we are not participating beyond getting an 'I Voted Today' sticker. And as cool as they are, our country really needs us to care about her and fight for her and take a stand.

There are other ways to fight for your country than wearing a military uniform: straight down the middle in a country-saving, results-driven compromise. Maybe, finally, at last, I get it.