As the Media, Congress and the Administration continue a back-slapping, hand-pumping celebration at warping US policy towards Authoritarianism, most members of our Civil Society have awakened.  No doubt, the deep and meaningful slumber that was so totally into itself that all other considerations, such as our political way of life, were of little if any importance.   Our Government, it could be heard, "is broken why even bother?" or one of many chief personal irritants over the years, "there's not a dimes worth of difference between a Republican and a Democrat," and then, probably the most common, "They are all a bunch of crooks."  These old sayings, along with many others, now seem to have been an excuse for many to avoid the trouble and responsibility for properly maintaining our Republic.

The Democrats, it would seem, have shown their true colors in a spectacular display of disregard to the American people.  While many of all stripes blame the President for pushing his brand of nation-damaging redistribution, he is but one man.  There were, in fact, 219 Americans in Congress who voted in support of the President's viewpoint without actually understanding the implications.  The economic damage that this and other measures will do is still being tallied as the tremors from our last meltdown slowly subside.

But as we all struggle to understand how we got ourselves into this mess, it then must be noted that we are all culpable to some degree--well at least most of us at some point or another--for not fully appreciating the importance of the process.  There are those whose lives and living are part and parcel of the process and, in a Republic such as ours, their value is incalculable.  Yet, those everyday citizens who seem to insist upon their obedience to a particular party or viewpoint--without having the foggiest notion as to exactly why-- make a meaningful argument for "proving" their eligibility to vote as it regards basic Constitutional Republic knowledge if not principles.

Functioning Brain Required

For example, no one can forget the spectacle of the man-on-the-street reports which queried various individuals on who was running for President and what that candidate believed and supported along with his Vice-Presidential running mate and their political beliefs.  The answers were hilarious in how totally wrong they were... at the time.

Noted:  Establishing minimum specifications for voter eligibility is a loaded statement.  But the simple fact is, I--as I am sure many also-- do have certain family members, friends or otherwise who espouse a political viewpoint that, were such family members fully aware of its portent, would probably run retching for the nearest toilet if they had a sudden epiphany of understanding into what was actually their avowed Party's stance  on issues along with resultant ramifications.  Many in America are, truthfully, guilty of not being a part of the Democratic process and, in effect, allowing the Ship of State to fly along essentially half-rudderless.  Perhaps the state of our school system, along with its teachings, has something to do with this, along with the Media, such as it is.

In fact, voter turnout has, for the most part, been in the 50 to 56% range for those eligible to vote for the last 50 years in the United States with various spikes peppered throughout.  The last Presidential voting year being 2008, the voter turnout was 61%, which owed much to Obama's modern campaign marketing of attracting a large number of the young and of minorities who were breathless for some form of change.  What might have happened had the remaining 39% turned out or at least cast a ballot?

Investing in Apathy and Goosebump Taxes

No doubt Voter Apathy seemed to have played a large part in the Republican and Conservative side of the mix for the year 2008.  Not withstanding the fact that the President's "Centrist" campaign stance attracted a number of voters who now feel bamboozled.  Had these people done proper due diligence their vote may have been different.  Change we can believe in has become change we can grieve in to the ultimate chagrin of a large part of this country's populace.

The Media, in its own way, is even more culpable as they seem to slant most reports with their own ideology while failing to ask the most important questions.  Why do they not slant them all then, you might ask?  The answer would probably be that not all members of the Media are leftward, some few are of the right and some few are of the center.  Also, editors are editors for a reason, one must understand.  But also some reports, most likely, give certain reporters those "tell-tale feel-good goosebumps" for saying what they did not wish to say but doing so anyway for the truth in greater goodfulness.

We might, perhaps, consider such Media "one of ten practices" as a "usage tax" for all the other leftist propaganda that is spouted by these same individuals.  The Media, no one can deny, ran a solid campaign for the President and seems diffident to gainsay the President now.  Rush Limbaugh puts it best by stating "the Media owns Barack Obama."

Much Ado About Nothing or The Taming Of The Shrew?

We cannot fail to note that many more stories and news events are left out of the mix entirely for one reason or another.  The most recent example would be the ream after ream, story after story that essentially proves "man-made" global warming as being a hoax.  It seems that once the populace had finally begun doubting the veracity of the climate data, the Media in this country became strangely silent.  Well, until some new report came along which pointed to yet another weather event as being a climate event in support of their ongoing mantra, despite poo-pooing "other" weather events which run counter to their arguments.

Recently, after the entire United States was hit with an unprecedented chain of life-taking winter storms for the last four months, the Media pointed to a temperature reading in Asheville, NC that was slightly above the norm as being palpable evidence of global warming while ignoring the obvious extremes of a worldwide brutal winter.  They then went on to state that this winter was the warmest winter in 10 years...for Heaven's sake.

Another example would be the Media's recycled linkage of Tea Party devotees as being racists, misogynists, clan members, anarchists and so forth.  The Media has come out, yet again, in a full phalanx assault against the Tea Party when attendees gathered in Washington to protest against the Health Reform Bill while the vote was underway.  The  Mainstream Media, which had formerly touted the Tea Party as much ado about nothing, now seems to have decided that it is, indeed, a threat and wishes to cast the protesters as being lower than whale  poo with regard to how low Tea Partiers might sink.

However, it should be noted that the charge of "Racism" has been used so often, against so many,  more questionably over the last 24 months than at any other time, that the word now wields the gravity of a paperclip in its usage.  This ultimately works against those who are actual victims of racism.  But as we have all so painfully learned over the last year, the end justifies the means when in the business of political vilification.

Celebrating the Tsunami

In truth the Reporters should be asking "why" rather than delivering somnambulent judgment in print.  The simple fact is that most Tea Party attendees understand that having a Government which acts as a nanny-like safety net, or perhaps even a watchful parent, might be nice on the one hand--but can also be brutal on the other.  The Government will be quick with the rule of "sparing the rod can spoil the child" as with all Authoritarian States.  Further, an emotionally distant and cold Parent would be about the best that one could hope for.  In other words, as with any equation, the sought after natural balance will be difficult if not impossible when the unnatural inputs are so terribly flawed.

But while the liberal celebration continues in an almost clownish atmosphere of diffident ignorance, the ramifications of the healthcare bill passage is already making itself felt.  As the Governance of America has now become extraordinarily unbalanced, as if at a point of tipping over, we may soon be seeing the dire if not final results of the 2006 and 2008 elections.  Our economy is bent to the breaking point, our AAA bond rating may soon evaporate and the most recent offering of US Treasury notes was pretty much ignored.

The world, it would seem, has grown hesitant at further financing our debt, and who can blame them?  As American Citizens now turn towards mitigating debt and increasing their savings, the leaders of the US Government continue along in their spending spree oblivious to the next economic tsunami that is headed our way.  The problem, this time, is that we have exhausted most of our resources and world currencies are in no better shape to bail America out.

A Thanksgiving to Remember

The Government now, it appears, will turn to corporations and individuals who are running on near empty (anyway) from weathering the financial storms of the last three years.  Many of which who had turned the corner and were headed back out into smoother seas now find a huge, menacing man-made storm of Government taxation and fees, Healthcare reform taxes and even increased Medicare taxes that spread from horizon to horizon.

This along with rumors of a value added national sales tax which looms just beyond the stormy horizon. Will our intrepid entrepreneurial sojourners continue their already battered vessels into the storm and brave the economic  seas or will they put their rudders over and head back into port to wait the storm out ?

We have been hearing a great deal of concern from many Commentators--both right and left--but mainly Conservatives.  Many seem worried that the concerned Citizens may not be able to maintain their resolve and their forthright energy to continue their enthusiasm  and motivation against this damaging Socio-Political ideology Until the November elections.

Going Postal

If I may, please let me put your concerns at ease.  As Americans suffer under an extreme mountain of debt with little if anything to show for it, being force-fed a Health Insurance mandate that most did not want and then being totally ignored, if not laughed at and derided, when they gathered to "air their grievances against such activities," the answer is quite obvious.  The voter turnout will, without any semblance of a doubt, set a Historical record for the United States.

We will see a huge throng of voters trying to leap-frog over one another in order to make sure that their vote is counted.  There will, most likely, be long lines of people who will joyfully wait their turn for a chance to make "their difference" this time in the American political process.  The longer the lines, the more joyful the people will be.  Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, (nor threat at halting Saturday delivery) will deny them.  Their resolve will remain strong and will most likely even strengthen.

This assumes we will have electricity enough available to run our polls, or a sufficiency of fuel for us to get there in November.

Hmm...perhaps an investment in blue ink is in order.

Barry Secrest