IS AMERICAN DEMOCRACY DEAD?

On the CNN news website today, Julian Zelizer posted an opinion article that raised very serious questions about the health of democracy in America because of the influence of money.   It’s hard not to feel a little apprehension after reading it.

In the first paragraph, Mr. Zelizer identifies the problem and underlines its seriousness.  Throughout the article he recalls the history of how we “got here.”  He states what all of us know to be true based on what we see happening around us.

Read his article for yourself here.

It is the season to act!

We voters can do something about this problem.  We can fix it one vote at a time (THINK THE POWER OF ONE).  Voting Alert Beacon #5 drives a stake through the heart of special interests money, and their effect on our democracy.

It’s very simple!  First we all need to vote.  Second, if we follow the basic steps that the Voting Alert Beacons lay out in making our selections in the voting booth, we can shut down the special interest money like a water faucet that doesn’t leak.

Some would say that the Beacons are too simple.  I would say that is the very reason why they will work cleanly and effectively with dramatic effects.

Spread the word!  Tell your friends about the Voting Alert Beacons!

. . .  remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her.   America’s best days are ahead of her.  They always have been and always will be.

Dave

Copyright © 2014 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved. 

LIMITS ON DONATIONS REMOVED

This week the US Supreme Court removed the limits on campaign donations by wealthy individuals while leaving the individual candidate limit intact.  The ruling means a wealthy liberal or conservative donor can give as much money as desired to federal election candidates across the country, as long as no single candidate receives more than the $5,200 cap.  Most commentary agrees that this opens the flood gates to large increases in private election donations.  As strange as my thinking seemed to even me, it finally made sense to me that the court decision is a good one.  We don’t need laws that limit any of our constitutional rights, we need to powerfully use our right to vote to elect public servants that are honest and willing to consistently “just say no” to money and special interests.

For years, politicians (all kinds) have sponsored and passed laws in an attempt to limit the amount of money spent in our election campaigns.  However, the amount of money spent in elections has never trended down, but has continued to rise.  Over time most of these laws, or parts of them, have been ruled unconstitutional as against the right to free speech. 

Neither the legislative branch or the judicial branch have been able to find an effective limiting process.  Then, as demonstrated by the 2012 Presidential election where the combined dollars spend by both major candidates was almost $2 Billion, the executive branch doesn’t have the tools or inclination to solve this money problem either.  

Now, we voters need to take our turn.  As voters we simple need to apply the steps in Voting Alert Beacon #5:  The Money.  It may take several elections, but if we follow the steps, we can begin to take the money out of the system so that honesty and public service can rush back in.

NOTE:  Moral laws don’t make moral men and women, but moral and honest men and women can make moral laws.  With the power of our individual vote, we can elect the honest men and women that we desperately need.

Spread the word!  Tell your friends about the Voting Alert Beacons!

. . .  remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her.   America’s best days are ahead of her.  They always have been and always will be.

Dave

Copyright © 2014 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved. 

EXCEPTIONAL-ISM

In the process of justifying what’s happening to Crimea, President Putin, from the Russian Federation, has complained about something called American Exceptional-ism.  Generally, I don’t think we Americans think about ourselves as being exceptional.  Instead, most of us in our day to day lives just go about getting the job done.  Like most people in the world we want to take care of our families, and find happiness in what we do with our lives.  Perhaps, we could point to our democracy and the foundational right to vote. 

Then, if anything is exceptional, it would be the spirit of freedom and liberty that was given to us in the beginning by our founding fathers and mothers.  If we are guilty of anything, it is only that we wish others around the globe might enjoy the same blessings that we enjoy.  We might also be guilty of our conviction that everyone has the right to rise to their own potential without restraint and restriction other than the limits of their own efforts and desires.

Here’s one expression of our American conviction.  Enjoy!

MY CREED ...by Dean Alfange (Flying "W" Ranch)

“I do not choose to be a common man. It is my right to be uncommon.  I seek opportunity to develop whatever talents God gave me, not security.  I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.  I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.  I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.  I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.  I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout.  I will never cower before any earthly master nor bend to any threat.  It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say-----This , with God's help, I have done." 

All this is what it means to be an American. 

Mr. Putin, you should give this a try.  You might even find some success.

. . .  remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her.   America’s best days are ahead of her.  They always have been and always will be.

Dave

Copyright © 2014 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved. 

OUR “CALL TO DUTY” AS VOTERS IS RINGING NOW

It’s already started.  

We’re now fully immersed in the 2014 election cycle.  Parties and politicians are throwing mud with both hands.  Instead, wouldn’t it be refreshing if party or person were to spend their time and energy offering positive solutions, and a little simple honesty?  Everyone spends too much time talking about what’s wrong with the “other” position or person, and not enough time on what they will do to solve problems if they get a chance.

It’s time for we voters to begin practicing our listening skills.  Voting Alert Beacon #3 (Listen / Ignore) offers a simple approach that will help us decide who to vote for.  LISTEN to what candidates say about themselves and their positions on the issues.  IGNORE what they say about their opponents and their opponent's positions on the issues.

Another feature of election cycles that adds energy to the “mud-slinging” is the opinion poll.  Have you ever noticed how there’s an opinion poll for everything?  Polls enable the candidates to take positions for the sole purpose of gaining our votes.  They allow the parties and persons to do what they think enough voters want them to do so they can win the election. 

When you get that telephone call, you hear a knock on the door, or someone stops you on the street, just say “no.”  Voting Alert Beacon #4 (The Polls) is simple and clear on what we need to do.  DO NOT participate in polls except the National Census every ten years. Poll driven positions on the issues would cease to exist, and the candidates would be pushed toward thoughtful consideration of what they need to do and what should be done.

A final area for voters to keep a close eye on throughout the 2014 election cycle, and after when our elected public servants begin to work, is in problem solving and solution finding.  History shows us that sometimes they try to fix things that aren’t broken, or they do it in a way that breaks what was working pretty well, while increasing the size and seriousness of the original problem.  As a result, costs go up and the government grows larger.

Remember, Listen / Ignore and Just Say No!

. . .  remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her.   America’s best days are ahead of her.  They always have been and always will be.

Dave

Copyright © 2014 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved. 

TO LEAD A NATION

In his course, TO LEAD A NATION, The Presidency in the Twentieth Century, Robert Dallek discusses the reasons why some of the Presidents of the Twentieth Century (Theodore Roosevelt through Ronald Reagan) rose to greatness, while most of us can’t remember who the others were. 

Mr. Dallek identifies several things that the “great Presidents” consistently score high in.  This list of items includes:  Vision, charisma, pragmatism, consensus building, trust or credibility, and luck.

These are personal attributes that we as voters can use to identify who we might vote for, right?  They are key characteristics we can identify for ourselves by listening to what the candidates say and by knowing a little about their track records.  By the way, aren’t these attributes of “Presidential greatness” also qualities we’d like to see more of in all of our public servants and representatives?

The 2014 elections are around the corner, and the 2016 elections not to long after that.  Maybe we should start asking ourselves how the current crop of public servants and representatives “measure up” using this list. 

NOTE:  This list of presidents examined by Mr. Dallek included:  Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kenney, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan.

After Ronald Reagan, the Presidents have been George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barak Obama

For practice, we can also think about how the Presidents since Ronald Reagan measured up.  What do you think?

. . .  remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her.   America’s best days are ahead of her.  They always have been and always will be.

Dave

Copyright © 2013 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved. 

Candle In The Darkness

The “right to vote” is a fundamental reason for America’s past success and its bright future.  When we vote, we light a candle that burns brightly.  Its light spreads in all directions.  Indeed voting shines a light into the dark corners, and makes them visible for all to see.  When necessary, it is our tool to help us get the American ship back on course, and steer it out of the fog that occasionally descends.

The right to vote is also the “real” America Dream.  It’s not a house, or a job and a certain wage.  All of those things exist in other countries where there are no rights and dreams.  It is a basic act of self determination, and reflects on who we are as a nation.  Voting breaths life into our Constitution.  As a result, our Constitution is also extraordinary. 

In his remarks to the delegates of the United States Senate Youth Program on February 5, 1981, President Ronald Reagan said,

“I had a copy of the Soviet Constitution and I read it with great interest.  And I saw all kinds of terms in there that sounded just exactly like our own:  “Freedom of assembly” and freedom of speech” and so forth.  Of course, they don’t allow them to have those things, but they’re in there in the constitution.  But I began to wonder about the other constitutions --- everyone has one --- and our own, and why so much emphasis on ours.  And then I found out, and the answer was very simple.  That’s why you don’t notice it at first, but it is so great that it tells the entire difference.  All those other constitutions are documents that say that “We, the government, allow the people the following rights,” and our Constitution says “We, the people, allow the government the following privileges and rights.”

We give our permission to government to do the things that it does.  And that’s the whole story of the difference --- why we’re unique in the world and why no matter what our troubles may be, we’re going to overcome all those troubles --- and with your help and support because it’s an ongoing process.”

It seems that the current crop of public servants in Washington DC, and some in the various states have forgotten who they serve.  In fact, many seem to think that it is their job to “rule” instead of “serve.”  In the name of public service, many serve a favorite issue, a financial contributor or a political party and ideology.  As a result, they are driving the country on the left and right shoulders of the road.  The shoulders are bumpy and often extreme.  Either side insists that they are on the correct side of every issue.  In fact, neither side, left or right, is on the correct side.

So, it’s time to find new drivers who will drive us down the smooth middle of the road.  That time of decision is coming soon.  Hopefully, after the election in November 2014, the ride will start to even out.  For us as voters, the only important thing to do is for ALL of us to vote.  It won’t matter how each of us votes if we ALL vote.  The genius of America and the American Dream will shine once more.

. . .  remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her.   America’s best days are ahead of her.  They always have been and always will be.

Dave

Copyright © 2013 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved. 

The Voting Alert Beacons Vision

Following is a "re-post" from last September.  Given the current failure of our elected representatives in Washington DC, and the need for us as voters to focus on electing new public servants, this vision below seems like a great place to start.  Remember, the next election opportunity is now less than a year away in November 2014.

Recently I was talking with a friend who had seen my Voting Alert Beacons blog, and they weren’t sure what it was about.  Why are you writing it, they asked?  As we talked more, I showed them the “tab” which contained the vision, and described how there were simple things an individual citizen could do to make their vote more effective.  All of these “simple things” are positive in spirit and designed to call forward the best in our elected public servants, and the best in America as a nation.

Then they asked whether I seriously thought enough citizens would take these simple steps.  We talked about Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.  We talked about the “60’s” and how citizens can come together in ways not thought possible to do things that seem impossible.  While it is only the beginning, we should not be discouraged.  As you can see in the blog “tab” or here in this post, it is now only a vision, but it is the first most important step.

I have a small consulting company called Wormhole Consulting, LLC in which we always begin engagements and challenges with, “What we have the vision to see, we can find a way to be.”  In my experience, the most difficult step is always the first step.  We must first see, and find the vision.

Now read below and review.  The most difficult first step has been taken.

Vision for VOTING ALERT BEACONS

By the Presidential election of 2016, and continuing thereafter, reach a 95% voter turnout thereby realizing the genius of our combined American intelligence, and giving rise to a new higher standard of civil service and servant leadership.  Without negative campaigning, and the influence of money and polls, elections will become events of national renewal.  Let us strike the bell beginning a new period of enlightenment in the American democracy that will ring for millennia to come.  We can renew and fulfill the original American Dream, the right to vote, for all her citizens, and once again let America shine as a beacon for the world.


The day after the 2016 election, the media will report the following:

• 95% of eligible voters cast ballots
• All candidates for President created visions and offered them to America
• For the first time in American memory, the new President leads with a vision of success that looks 25 years into the future
• The new President was elected by 75% of the votes cast giving their vision a mandate

. . .  remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her.   America’s best days are ahead of her.  They always have been and always will be.

Dave

Copyright © 2013 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved.