Make Some Noise!

When I was a kid back in the 50's, I was taught by my parents that children were to "be seen and not heard."  The sentiment was so ingrained in me that when I accidentally tore off my pinky nail in a folding chair while at a family party, I sat there and quietly let it bleed on my party dress rather than yell out.

Corporate Free Speech, Political Cartoon found at www.ny4democracy.org

Thankfully, those days are behind me, because I had a lightbulb moment and realized there is much I have to talk about.  Climate change, the privatization of education that has been spearheaded by the current era of billionaire "reformers," the adulteration and contamination of our food and water supply, threats to our environment, etc.  Most of the problems that have been destroying our way of life are caused by the almighty pursuit of a profit.  That's why I'm fighting the hardest to attack the root of the problem, which is the undue influence and corruption of our political system by those who have the most - MONEY (yes, I'm thinking money is the root of all evil here).

True, the corruption of politics and undue influence of the upper class has been an endemic problem since, well like, forever.  But I think it is fair to say that the checks and balances on our democratic system has never been more in peril than it is today.

In 1974, Congress amended the Federal Election Campaign Act and began regulating campaign contributions and election spending.  Among other things, it limited the amount that individual contributors could donate to politicians, required disclosure, and provided for public financing of presidential elections. Sensible provisions, right?  But, wait.  In the Buckley v. Valeo decision, the Supreme Court held that limiting contributions to election campaigns was unconstitutional and against the First Amendment, because political donations were a form of free speech.  The court did sustain the limits on individual contributions, as well as disclosure and reporting provisions.  What this meant, however, is that while there is a limit on what an individual can donate to a particular campaign, there is no limit to what they can spend on creating political documentaries, commercials, etc. This watershed moment made a profound change to our democratic system, which began functioning a lot like a plutocracy (government controlled by the wealthy few).  The era of Super-PACs was born, and the massive amounts of money that poured into political pockets soon dismantled much of the democratic power of the common folk.

In 2010, the Supreme Court solidified the power of the economically privileged by ruling that Buckley v. Valeo also applied to corporations, associations, or labor unions.  The Citizens United ruling was tantamount to giving corporations "personhood," and guaranteeing those organizations constitutional rights and freedoms. The First Amendment provision found in Buckley v. Valeo was therefore applied to corporations. The Supreme Court in essence, made the corruption of our democratic government a legal right.  We have seen the result.  A Congress that cannot pass any regulation, even when it is bipartisan in nature.  The lack of action on climate change? Not at all surprising, considering the money the fossil fuel industry pours into politics.  Just about every politician is beholding to some corporate or association entity and is afraid to stand up for what the American public really needs.

The 2014 Supreme Court decision in  McCutcheon v. the Federal Election Commission further solidified the power of the rich by removing the overall cap on political contributions.  It did not, however, change the limits on individual contributions to federal candidate campaigns, PACS, or party committees.

And let's not even get into gerrymandering - that term we all learned in high school that refers to the practice of reworking political districts in order to manipulate the vote and give a party a decided advantage.  Both political parties have used this strategy.  In New York State, some of the district maps end up looking slightly less like a subdivision on a map and somewhat more like my 3-year old grandson's art doodles.

We need to restore our representative democracy and demand free and fair elections.  I dare to say if we are not successful in this fight, all will be lost.  No progress will ever be made to resolve those huge problems that are threatening our way of life.  Vested interests always seek the profit line, even when the entire system is falling down around them.  You only have to look at the obstructionist Congress that we have, to realize that our country is not making much progress on the real problems that confront us -- climate change, a disintegrating infrastructure, budgeting and financial reforms, etc.

Stand up make some noise.  Today.   Begin by sharing information on your social networks.  Advocate for free and fair elections by contacting your state and federal representatives.  Don't just sit in a corner and watch our political system bleed out, because you did not speak up.

"Our nation is facing a crisis of liberty if we do not control campaign expenditures.  We must prove that elective office is not for sale.  We must convince the public that elected officials are what James Madison intended us to be, agents of the sovereign people, not the hired hands of rich givers, or what Madison called factions."                                         ~Senator Barry Goldwater, 1983

Say No With Conviction!

When I was younger, I was always afraid to say no.  There was something way down deep that believed that if I rejected the requests of others, I would not be liked.  And being liked was everything -- when I was younger.

Now that I'm an old retired person, I feel much more free to say "No!"  I am no longer afraid of someone not liking me (I like myself and that's good enough for me), I am not afraid to hurt someone's feelings (though I do try to say No with grace, I do not back down no matter how much I am pressured), and I am pleasantly assertive in what I believe is best -- for me!  What a relief.  What freedom!  I am no longer thrown about by the sad songs of humans who always seem to need something.  I am now free to pick and choose what I want to do, and how I want to help.  It leaves time for what really matters - spending time with family and friends, volunteering at the co-op, working on our house, volunteering with youth, and advocating for issues like the environment and the rights of working families.

But even with all this newfound wonderful assertiveness, I still falter on occasion.  This past week my elderly cousin introduced me to someone who immediately asked for three favors -- one, help with a resume/cover letter so she can get a better job.  I'm on board for that because I do like to help empower women, so I said yes immediately.  But then -- request number two came as a surprise only after I'd already done the resume/cover letter for her -- she brought a college paper for me to help her with, because it was overdue and after all, she was a single mother, and she had no one to turn to.  I did it because she was in my house, and somehow it felt rude and awful to ask her to leave.  I was angry with myself later because one hour of my life turned into four (and I also missed lunch), and I felt like I needed those hours for other things. Then three, she asked my husband to help move furniture.  Three strikes you are out.  When asked by my cousin to help her again this week, I said No!

Have I entirely gotten rid of the guilty feelings when I do so?  I have to admit, not completely, or I guess I wouldn't be writing this particular post.  Psychologists will tell you that this is a human response -- we are social animals and we "make it" in society by being amenable to others.  And I for one, have that "Do Unto Others" mantra in my head and I also personally hate rejection.  But then again, I don't ask people to do a whole lot for me either.

Today we had a young man ring the bell -- selling some kind of magazine subscription for a contest.  He looked to be about 18.  Even when I immediately told him, "No thank you," he did that salesman thing and tried to keep talking - fast - the verbal equivalent of the shoe in the door.   But it was not a real shoe, so therefore the real door closed on him while he was still prattling on.  Did I feel guilty about that?  No!

And let me not even start on the multiple requests from various entities and politicians that want to Save. The. Planet. Yes, I would like to help the poor polar bear who is sitting on that lonely iceberg that is melting.  And yes, we need a more effective political system.  But if I said yes to each and every request, I'd have to ask others to pay my bills.  Here's where prioritizing comes in.  It is harder, though, to say no when the request comes from family or friends, and certainly some of those requests deserve a yes even when I don't have the resources to do so.  Hence the guilt.  I'll live with that, though, because at my age, I'm beginning to realize that every day is precious, and money doesn't grow in paychecks anymore.

Let's all understand this - when someone says no to us, we should accept it.  It doesn't matter what their reason is, or even if they have a reason.  It is their life and they have the right to choose how to spend their hours, or their money.  And when someone asks a favor that seems unreasonable, give that "NO!" and sleep well at night.  I do.