Teach Your Children Well
Children are held in such a revered place in our society; loved, cared for, provided for, protected. PROTECTED ??? Yeh, protected; from almost the moment of conception to reaching majority (that’s 18 if you wish to put your life at risk for your country or 21 if you merely want a beer) we have checks and balances and agencies and officers of the court and elected representatives all looking out for our kids. So why or why is it that two major threats to their safety and wellbeing – and lives – seemingly remain wilfully and blindly unchecked. (Ostrich heads in the sand couldn’t do any better.) I’m talking about school shootings and climate change. One in the here and now and the other, conveniently for the present grown-ups, at some point in the future when those same grown-ups are passed and gone. WTF. The ‘solution’ from ‘the present grown-ups’ is use your vote; vote for change . Yeh right. We can see how well that works. It’s a given that a democratic system without a doubt has the best potential for a fair representation of the will of the people. But it has to be a DEMOCRATIC system; where the outdated provisions of the electoral college are abolished; where corporations are not people; where the SCOTUS Citizen’s United ruling is reversed; where money doesn’t talk and campaign contributions are capped; where campaigns are financed by public money to avoid conflicts of interest; where gerrymandering (by both sides) and voter suppression (mainly GOP) are custodial offences; where lobbying and sponsoring elected representatives is banned (K Street slush funds); where voting is mandatory as a civic duty and where one person gets one vote and the person with the most votes is elected. Isn’t it time to take a look at creating a fair democratic system that realises the potential of a nation that is a shining example to the rest of tthe world instead of a cess pit of corruption and self interest. Given that the system by which we elect those that govern is the absolute foundation of a just and fair society, shouldn’t we make that the absolute priority? Isn’t it time for a total overhaul of our process that will re-establish the principles of the Founding Fathers (if indeed they really are all they’re cracked up to be).
Or are we forever stuck with ‘it is what it is’.
So sorry kids, it looks like you’ll just have to suck it up. And hope that when your turn comes there will be enough backbone in your generation to admit we’ll have to suffer for real change to bring us into the 21st (or 22nd… or 23rd) century.
But we do love you, you know. Just not enough to protect your future!
