Politics in American.

Politics in American is at most, very depressing. You have the mud slingers and the muckrakers, the big money campaigns of presidents, Congress and Gubernatorial elections and those which barely scraping by as in the local county commissioner, who was urged to run by a couple of friends but had no idea what he was getting into. Most Americans really do not know what they believe. They usually always have followed someone else’s opinion, whether it be from kindred or the media. Very few Americans unfortunately have truly made up “their” own mind on the issues. It’s either all politicians are liars or one party or the other. Why else could some people, not illiterate people, but everyday working Americans, how could they ever believe the adage, “Democrats for the poor and working man and the Republicans for the rich and wealthy.” This is a dilemma in this American society and the only way to correct is by educating America.

Too many people in American are glued to the “one-eyed monster” we call television and rely on the paid representatives of each station to promote their own personal views and ideas. It is amazing to me how many Americans willingly believe, “well if CNN says it, it has got to be true!” What one must remember is that these everyday men and women have their own ideas and beliefs and they desire everyone to think like they do. But if American was truly like that we would be a society of robots who had no mind or will of their own.

So truly, the only way to fix this problem is to encourage all Americans to not just believe what they hear and read, but to research and find out for themselves what is true. Allow each individual to decide what is relevant and true. One can listen to the news or read about a president or political figure and see the slant certain media will place on the individual and their party. If the article is about a republican and the author is a democrat, 99% percent of the time the article will be biased to show the interviewee. Before you write me off as a right wing, off base conservative it does work both ways. If the article is about a democrat and the author is a republican, it will usually slant towards conservatism, to make the interviewee seem to be a left wing, God hating activist. But now you could say, “Well all we have is the media to guide and inform us, how can we know which is right and wrong?” Thomas Jefferson one of the framers of our Constitution and author of the Declaration of Independence wrote this in a letter to John Norvell in 1807; “nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle(The Thomas Jefferson Papers).” This is where the research and time come in. You must take it upon yourself and not be led by “other peoples” beliefs. This is what makes America great, we get to choose! We do not have to follow the crowd. There is not just one name on a ballot as in Iraq, in its bogus election, that did not show the armed guards and terror in people if they did not vote for Saddum. This is America the beautiful and we are able to follow and choose whoever we desire.

Take a look at the creeds of both parties… “we acknowledge that a political party

which wishes to lead must listen to those it would lead, a party which ask s for the

people's trust must prove that it trusts the people and a party which hopes to call forth the

best the Nation can achieve must embody the best of the Nation's heritage and traditions

(DNC ).” This is an excerpt from the Creed of the Democratic party and the following is an except from the Republican motto; “I believe that ...

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Take a look at the creeds of both parties… “we acknowledge that a political party

which wishes to lead must listen to those it would lead, a party which ask s for the

people's trust must prove that it trusts the people and a party which hopes to call forth the

best the Nation can achieve must embody the best of the Nation's heritage and traditions

(DNC ).” This is an excerpt from the Creed of the Democratic party and the following is an except from the Republican motto; “I believe that the proper function of government is to do for the people those things that have to be done but cannot be done, or cannot be done as well by individuals, and that the most effective government is government closest to the people. I believe that good government is based on the individual and that each person's ability, dignity, freedom and responsibility must be honored and recognized (RNC).” If you will notice they basically say the same thing, the government is for the people and elected by the people and they (the government) should always remember why they are there.

It has become a travesty today that many people just do not know where our liberties and freedom came from. Some lawyer did not just come up with the preamble to the constitution saying, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America (U.S. Constitution).” This preamble and the Bill of Rights was written from past experiences from being under the control of Great Britain. The First Amendment states that Americans shall have the freedom of Religion, speech, press, assembly and petition, why? Because under the Colonial laws of England, they forced a religious belief, suppressed newspaper articles, banned protests and unlawful assemblies, as Americans we wanted free rights. All of the Constitution and the amendments came into being because someone did not have those rights or had them taken away.

So how did we become a nation divided on issues of religion, politics, and government? And the biggest question is how do we fix it? Whether you consider yourself a “Liberal” or a “Conservative” do not be one or the other by taking others opinions and beliefs. Educate yourself, research this information yourself and make your own decision based on the facts.

What are some of the facts? Fact: the separation between church and state is “not” in the Constitution. This was derived from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to a Rev. Samuel Miller in 1808, and it states; “I consider the government of the US. as interdicted by the constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises. This results not only from the provision that no law shall be made respecting the establishment, or free exercise of religion, but from that also which reserves to the states the powers not delegated to the US (Thomas Jefferson).” Thomas Jefferson believed strongly in religious freedom and the separation of church and state. While President, Jefferson was accused of being a non-believer and an atheist. Jefferson attended church services in the Capitol and on several occasions expressed his beliefs including this letter explaining his constitutional view. It is easy to see now, that media, anti-religion activists and such have taken a statement of belief that the government should not regulate the church and the church should not regulate the government to: taking down the ten commandments of the walls of public buildings, prayer is not allowed in schools. This was never the intention of the framers of our Constitution. This still goes back to the statement I made in the beginning, “Republicans are for the rich and wealthy and the Democrats are for the poor and working man.” If you will seek out the original beliefs of both these parties you will see that they stood for the same thing in essence. American freedoms and liberties and that the United States of American is the greatest Nation on the earth because of its freedoms and its laws. Neither party desires to increase the tax burden on anyone. Neither party desires to decrease Social Security. Neither party desires to do away with First Amendment rights. Neither party desires to take away the power of the people. But these issues mentioned do have problems and needs. Proof, in the IRS files you can research and find out the top fifty percent of wage earners in America (over $100,000 annual) pay ninety-six percent of the taxes paid in the US (IRS Statistics of Income). I know this for a fact because for many of my adults years I never topped $30,000.00 a year and I usually received all I paid in back and for many years I received an “Earned Income Credit” so I never complained. Fact, the Republican party has never cut Social Security Benefits, only desired a way to keep it from ever going bankrupt. Fact, Congress does not pay into the Social Security as they have their own retirement plan set up. Why cannot the public do the same if so desired. Fact, the Democratic party desires to increase welfare benefits instead of teaching the recipients a trade to get them off welfare. Lao Tzu wrote this: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. The Republican views on welfare is that same ideal. If you keep a person on welfare, it creates a burden for the people an this individual never will succeed in life as our forefathers desire.

The simple solution? Seek the truth for yourself, don’t fall into the trap that because a famous “star” says this is truth that it is absolute truth. Remember anyone who endorses a project or ideal is always paid or given something for their time and energy, so for what reason are they doing it? You decide, don’t let a single person or media organization sway you to “their” policy or belief, be an American choose for yourself!

Works Cited

The Thomas Jefferson Papers. 29 Oct 2001. Library of Congress.

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Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to Rev. Samuel Miller. 23 Jan 1808. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. 6 Feb 2001. <http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/efffed.html>.

Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division, Unpublished Statistics, September 2002.