A Message to The United States Senate and the House of Representatives

While a college student I ate dinner with my father, a man generally not prone to making sweeping, ideological statements. At the said meal my Dad asked me with a philosophical tone, “Have you ever thought of what you would do with the opportunity to create your own country? For instance, what if you and I purchased an island and were empowered to design our own government, our own set of laws and lay the foundation of a society?” We discussed his challenge with great interest and vigor, me the young idealistic university student, and, he, the wise, sage, businessman.

After our spirited dialogue Dad stated, “It is my belief that the outline to the greatest nation in history already exists, and, though not perfect and free from trouble its blueprints are readily accessible to us here and now.” With this he pulled a small book from his suit jacket and presented me with a copy of The Declaration of Independence and The U.S. Constitution.

From this moment onwards I have kept my copy, studied it, been inspired by it, done further research upon it, and, bought additional copies and shared it with young and old alike.

History proves that great societies, over time, have faced critical junctures in their life spans which decide the their eventual fate as a nation. As with the life of an individual, often times these critical junctures are played out over several years rather than via a singular catastrophic instance.

I believe that this is the case with our Country, we stand now as a country, a group of individuals bound together by an extraordinary Constitution, common history, laws, geography and interests; in the valley of the unknown, experiencing what just may be the critical age of our history.

Throughout America, in the small towns, the big cities and everywhere in between, We the People hear reports of Senators and members of the House refusing to meet with each other, based on partisan interests, on important issues facing our nation. We hear news of Congresspersons representing and voting on critical Bills without taking the time to read the actual legislation up for discussion. We hear tell of ludicrous last minute additions to important sweeping legislation aimed at undermining sensibilities and the watchful eye of the American People. Even more astounding, when duly challenged, we see these Representatives of the People react in a way that exemplifies disgust and disbelief that such heady expectations should be cast upon them.

We bear witness to abuses of power, ethical quagmires, refusals to accept accountability and blatant greed, all eventually swept under the proverbial carpet never to be seen or heard of again as another headline proclaims to the public the newest outrage that emerges inevitably covering the previous one. Furthermore, and perhaps most catastrophically dangerous to Liberty, we witness our elected representatives defy the Constitution on an alarming number of levels, ultimately harshly handling, putting into jeopardy and advocating the possible revoking of our precious rights as United States citizens.

Indeed, who, if any, of the individuals sworn via oath to uphold the Constitution are worthy of claiming that they are doing so?

I do realize that I do not possess the super natural powers that would be required to enable me to read the hearts and minds of each of you as you go about representing us in the Congress. Additionally, it would be unreasonable and utterly ridiculous to assume that none among you is concerned with the direction of our country and the rights of its citizens. Even so, this said, overall, one could logically argue that generally speaking, based on what the average citizen can perceive that our collective representative bodies are not so concerned and that our sacred Constitution is being violated with great expediency, and, furthermore the situation is rapidly disintegrating rather than improving.

I address you today with the great respect due your high place as an elected official of our shared nation. I humbly acknowledge that as a member of the laity in the world of government that I do not, cannot and most probably will not fully appreciate the intricate mechanism of our government or your specific place in it. But, with this said, I do implore your full support and defense of my right and my obligation as a United States Citizen to present my urgent concerns to you, a duly elected Representative of the People, in a government that I personally aid in financing and supporting, and in turn, to expect your full and undivided attention and subsequent actual personal consideration of this written presentation.

Based on the above statements, I, a citizen of the United States of America, not as a Republican or Democrat but as a voter, a taxpayer, a law abider, a patriot, a devoted American, hereby challenge you, a high representative of the people of the United States of America to:



I. CONSIDER THE TERM “REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY”

The time has come when a majority of the people, Republicans and Democrats alike, agree to the fact that the general will of the nation is not being represented by our government. How many times will we say, “Well, that’s just
wrong . . . “ in reference to what happens in Washington D.C., the statehouse, the city council, etc. and all agree knowingly and wonder how this has transpired? Subsequently, tragically, apathy kicks in and we think there is nothing we can do, so, we go back to working and living, contributing our part and shaking our heads disapprovingly in the meantime.

For instance:

*Who among us does not agree that it is wrong for Congress to make itself exempt from the rules that every other US Citizen is held accountable for?
Protecting our legislators while they are actively legislating is one thing, taking advantage of the power granted by the People and using it to one’s personal gain and to cover misdeeds is quite another.

*Who among us does not agree that government spending needs to be monitored and gross excesses be stricken from the budget with the goal being not to reduce our deficit but erase it? A family unit or business interest is required to spend only what they earn or pay the consequences why does this not apply to our government?

*Who among us does not agree that it may well prove advantageous to consider having a “regular American” sit in with both the House and the Senate, on a rotating basis, to serve as a “reality meter” and call on the carpet ideas and legislation that seem utterly ridiculous? But, with further thought we sadly come to the realization that this is what a Congress of our own duly elected Representatives is meant to be doing today and, as a bonus, is being paid very handsomely for out of our generous tax dollars.

If these very few examples prove offensive to a majority of our citizenship then how, my fellow American, can we argue that we are living in a representative democracy? Indeed, if YOU the House and the Senate are representing US the People (and the entity providing the financial backing) and we, generally speaking, agree on certain broad issues as being repulsive, HOW CAN THEY STILL HAPPEN?

These issues represent not an idealistic point of view, instead, they cry out COMMON SENSE!

We hereby challenge you, nay; we demand that you represent the general interests, welfare, rights and personal freedoms of the people of the United States of America. We furthermore challenge you to consider this duty, in your work as a Representative of the people, vastly more important than that of your own personal agenda or addition to our protection of your personal fortune. Let your guiding light be the collective fortunes of a nation of free people.


II. DON’T TELL US ABOUT A COMMITMENT TO “CROSSING THE AISLE” BUT INSTEAD CONSIDER REMOVING IT ALL TOGETHER.

Much is made of the bi partisan attempts that occur in our Congress. The crossing of the aisle is heralded as dashing and bold, indeed, it is portrayed as a real political roll of the dice. One can’t help but wonder if Party affiliation has become more important than addressing the urgent affairs of our Nation. It may well be that the nasty offspring of excessive Partisanship is a Congress and a body of American People more concerned with alignment than constitutional soundness, accountability and ethical standards.

Congress people and citizenry alike are prone to excuse the actions of a Party Member while blasting members of the opposing party for the same action. In the meantime we all take our eyes off the proverbial ball and place our nation in a weakened condition.

The two party system certainly has merit in keeping balance and presenting options for voters, but, at what point does it become a place of refuge for unethical elected public servants, an excuse for poor legislation and ultimately guilty of truly separating the body of America where in we no longer share the basic common goals of our national character?

We hereby challenge you not to allow your party affiliation to dictate your actions as a legislator at the cost of the upholding of the Constitution and the protection of the Rights of the Citizens of the USA. We furthermore challenge to you lead us, as a body of people, to a place where we are identified politically as Americans before we are considered or consider ourselves Republicans or Democrats. Your example will surely lead the way.


III. IF YOU ARE CONCERNED WITH YOUR OWN PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY YOU MAY BE WELL ADVISED TO LOOK BACKWARDS FOR INSPIRATION.

Human nature leads us to the concern of what sort of legacy we will leave behind when we are gone. It would seem natural that the loftier the place one holds in the world, that the legitimate concerns over one’s legacy would increase. As our pasts become not only a part of photo albums and family heritage but of history books and documentaries, legacy takes on a newfound emphasis.

The highest representatives of the People of the most powerful country would seem suitable candidates for the burdens of legacy concern. Subsequently, public perception leads to the thinking that some decisions being made in our high offices are made out of concern for reputation and the type of legacy one might leave behind.

Poring through texts on American history we find example after example of individuals who sacrificed their own good for the good of the many. From our Founding Fathers who boldly put their names on a document that proclaimed treason and welcomed death if success was not achieved to the countless young men who have died in faraway places defending the ideals of the founders, to the legislators, community leaders and regular citizens who put country and the Constitution before self, fortune and sure fame, all ensuring the continuance of an ideal called America.

The hand of history upholds and its pages are filled with those who have given and less so with those who have taken. Though noted in local histories, though mentioned in passing, legislators, representatives and people of power who do nothing more than use their strength for personal gain and short-term approval are certainly not the stuff that the great history of our nation is made of.

We challenge you to reconsider your legacy, would it not be greater to lay immediate gains aside and instead lay all that you have on the line today to write a future great chapter in the history of our nation? A chapter where you are featured not as a powerful American who played along with the game, but, instead as one who changed the game and saved his/her nation in the meantime.


IV. READ THE CONSTITUTION AND DECLARATION OF INDPENDENCE

Though every American, idealistically, should read and be familiar with the documents that define and actually guide our nation, it would seem quite obvious that those charged with legislating and leading our nation would be expected and even required to do so.

We hereby challenge you to read, study and develop a thorough understanding of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. We so challenge you to aid in the completion of your duties as a defender of the Constitution and as a Representative of our great nation. If you do not own a copy of these documents then I, the undersigned, will personally supply you with a copy, via mail, at your request.




V. YOU DON’T GRANT RIGHTS, YOU SECURE THEM

The rights granted us as citizens of the United States of America are not so granted by the Congress, by the President, by the Judiciary, the State or any other government entity. We were born with these rights, making them natural rights. These natural rights are further proclaimed ours as citizens of the United States by the Constitution and it is the role of the government only to secure and protect these rights.

The role of our government was never intended to be the provider or the agent of revocation of such rights but instead the protector of them. The people give their consent to be governed based on the protection of our rights and individual freedoms.

Our consent to be governed is actually what allows the government its rights, not the opposite. We the People grant the power, the government does not, cannot, and will not grant the power to the people. The power flows in quite the opposite direction.

This ideological shift that suggests that We the People draw our power from the government is incorrect and ultimately dangerous and deathly to our precious Liberty as American citizens.

Is America responsible enough to be free? Do we need our freedoms checked by a higher power? These questions are not to be answered by the politician, legislator, or any member of the government. In the spirit of the very foundation of our nation, other individuals cannot check rights that are granted individuals by natural law. America must prove itself responsible enough to be free, or, suffer the consequences as a people and a nation. This process should be played out in the individual and collective lives of the people rather than in the institutions in Washington DC. Americans must opt to be responsible with their freedoms or watch their society crumble.

Removal of rights by a government will not make for a more responsible people or a safer, better nation; instead these heady usurpations will result in the death of Liberty, the end of the spirit of America and the beginning of a nation that does not value Freedom, Responsibility and Democratic Principles.


We hereby challenge you to reclaim your role as protectors of our rights and personal freedoms as stated in the Constitution. We further challenge you and demand that you defend Liberty by considering any attack on these rights as an actual physical attack on this nation. As a people, granting our sacred consent to be governed is based on your personal involvement in and commitment to our personal freedoms.


VI. CONSIDER YOUR OATH

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”

Armed with the mighty shield and sword empowered you by your high position as an elected representative of the people of the United States of America we compel you to, and insist that you defend our Constitution against all enemies, foreign AND domestic. As Christians discern fact vs. opinion by referring to the Bible, people of the Jewish Faith to the Torah, and follows of Islam to the Qur’an, you, as a legislator, should use the Constitution of the USA as a standard in which to measure the validity and rightness of your toil for this country. If your actions and legislation do not hold up Constitutionally, abandon them for the good of us all.




VII. FIGHT APATHY WITH HISTORY

Is it too simplistic and idealistic to propose that “getting back to basics” and addressing the constitutionality, ethical standards and moral fiber of our legislators will turn our country back in the direction of Liberty and Freedom?

The basic principles of human nature illustrate that over time greed, foul play and disregard for the Constitution and the letter of the law have surely existed in our government for all of history.

That said, it would seem logical to argue that just enough well minded, selfless on some level, Liberty securing legislators have graced the halls of Congress to have allowed us to survive somewhat intact as a country up until this day.

All we need now, to turn the tide, is just enough of these type of individuals to step up and do the selfless, tiring and peril laden work that lies ahead. Frankly speaking, we had better hope that these people both exist and are willing to do what it takes to save the essence of America.

Two hundred and thirty three years ago fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. Together they laid their honor, their fortunes and literally their lives on the line for what was really one of the biggest long shots in history. Treason equaled death in the world wherein they resided and by signing the document they were stating that Liberty was indeed more important than breathing.

Our current situation, though fraught with difficulty must, when put in the historical perspective of our Founders, seem possible to overcome. If they could surmount the staggering odds against the most powerful nation in the world and give birth to a nation founded on Liberty, can we not, in the same spirit, overcome the substantial odds, fuel the continuance of this same nation and preserve its precious Liberty?

We hereby challenge you to throw off claims of a commitment to the Righteousness, the American People, the Constitution and Liberty as idealistic, simplistic solutions to real problems. We challenge you to lay all you have on the line, along with your fellow Americans, and insist on re establishing honorable standards for the Legislative Branch along with all the stations of our government.



Reactions to these challenges might be quite varied; some might brush these notions aside as the hysterical rantings of an idealistic individual with over active sense of patriotism and a rather verbose pen, others might view it as but a representation of the views of but a few upset citizens who will eventually tire and return to the apathy that seems so welcome by politicians who have a firm grasp of the reigns of our government. Others, perhaps, might question the seemingly disrespectful challenger thusly, “How dare you question our high place as US Senators and Congress people? How dare you presume to know better than we regarding how to approach the problems and day to day affairs of the governance of our great nation?” Indeed, how dare we lay down such bold challenges, personal accusations and unrealistic, idealistic expectations at your feet?

Well, friend, if this represents your sentiments, I would rebut: How dare you question the sovereignty of the American People? How dare you challenge our right, nay our obligation to hold you accountable as our representative, as the spender of our earnings coming to you as a generous contribution to the continuance of democracy and the upholding of freedom? How dare you take the power we have deferred to you and blatantly abuse it to the harm of our United States and the personal freedoms it guarantees its citizenry?

Indeed, how fearful are you of hordes of informed, passionate voters, coming from right, left, and center; armed with the best interests of the American people at heart, watching your every move, ready to pounce on the ballot? A throng of citizens armed with the ideal burned into their hearts and minds that their natural rights indeed deserve defending and protecting. A people who will not tire, a people who will not sleep until their elected representatives act in the best interests of our great nation without hesitation, partiality, personal greed or unethical behavior.

As I challenge you today as a public servant, as a representative of We the People I hereby challenge also the body of America to become an absorbed, knowledge bound, partisan spin avoiding, passionate voting phenomenon; ready and prepared to take back our sacred rights as citizens of this great nation. A people less concerned with labels such as Republican, Democrat, Conservative and Liberal and more committed to upholding and voting upon principals such as RIGHTEOUSNESS, CONSTITUTIONAL SOUNDNESS, PERSONAL FREEDOMS, RESPONSIBILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, TRUTH and LIBERTY.

Each citizen must only watch, federal legislatively speaking, the actions of two Senators and one Representative. If we all aim to monitor “our three” then collectively we will indeed hold the body of Congress accountable to the sovereignty of the People of these United States. You may not want us to believe that it could be this simple, but indeed it just might be.

If true greatness could be achieved we would emerge forth as the American Party or the Constitutional Party representing many factions, beliefs and political leanings but ultimately holding our government and citizens to a higher standard, refusing to accept less and prepared to vote and sacrifice accordingly.

Are we at a turning point in American history? Is this a moment that future generations look backwards to as the instant WE betrayed the United States of America, or, will it be referred to as the great, glorious hour that we took the bold, selfless steps necessary to preserve it?

My fellow US citizen, we need not wait until tomorrow, we need not pause until this or that is done or passes or changes, the hour is upon us. You sit presently in the sacred halls of our Congress. Walk out the door of your office today, open the great doors admitting you to the chambers of Liberty, with renewed spirit and committed once again to lay together your honor, your fortune, all that you have, together with your fellow American servants and citizens and make this country what it is meant to be.

Put plainly, if you care to be reelected, we will be looking you to answer these challenges. If you are not so inspired or refuse to serve us, We the People will answer loudly and swiftly, via defeat in election, sending you packing your things and returning home from Washington D.C.

The challenge lies before you. Lead us to Liberty and to that end we will surely follow you, if not, we will remove you from the lead of this charge, and, you instead can follow us as we surge ever forward towards the great destiny of a nation of free people.


Faithfully Submitted, July 29, 2009,


Amy S. Daughters
United States Citizen

Washington Township, Ohio
amydaughters@woh.rr.com