The Coveted Commandment: CLEAN SWEEP 2014 (2013) by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr.

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An Open Blog to:

President, Barack Obama, United States of America;[2]

The Honorable, Rep. John Boehner (R), The Speaker of the House;[3]

The Honorable, Rep. Eric Cantor, ( R), Congressional Majority Leader[4]

The Honorable, Rep. Nancy Pelosi,(D) Congressional Minority Leader[5]

The Honorable, Rep. Harry Reid, (R) Senate Majority Leader[6]

The Honorable, Rep. Mitch McConnell, (D)Senate Minority Leader[7]

The Honorable, Rep. Cedric Richmond, 2^nd Congressional District[8]

The Honorable, Rep. Mary Landrieu, (D) Senator, Louisiana[9]

The Honorable, Rep. David Vitter, (R) Senator, Louisiana[10]

Introduction

Perhaps, many of our political leaders are too close to the power that they hold to see how their decisions are self-destructive, to their own country. The ease at which they have used the positions of leadership to create so vast a division among its citizens is actually to be commended. Why? Because as citizens we have acquiesced our future to power so well financed and orchestrated, that regardless of our ancestry, or our nationality, that if you are, by any means, an American citizen, that your citizenship, (correction) our citizenship, hangs in the balance. What are we to do?

If you have read some of the teasers leading up to this week’s blog, you have to also be aware of the fact that America is undergoing another major shutdown in her government. Why? As of now, the issue surrounds the Republicans against the Democrats, including our current President, Barack Obama, and the negotiations, or lack thereof, for raising the Debt Ceiling, with no strings attached. As of this posting, it has been decided (10/16/2013). But the original reason for the

America

’s governmental shutdown was the failure of President Obama to agree to the Republicans’ attempt to 1) Defund Obamacare, or the Affordable Healthcare Act; 2) Delay Obamacare, and/or 3)target taxation on medical devices. None of these were initially an area for consideration by the Obama administration and so, as of today, we are at a short term solution until January 15, 2014. And then, it’s back to Democracy via fear mongering. But the real issue here is, what does this of leadership mean to us as American citizens?

For many of us, who have selected a side politically, there is still an issue that may actually galvanize, irrespective of our political affiliations or ideologies. There is a possibility that regardless of whether President Obama decides to take the ‘throw baby out with the bathwater’ approach proposed by the Republicans, the downside is that the ultimate decision often puts the poor, the underserved, the middle class and small businesses in the crossfire of the conflict between these 2 super parties. The unfortunacy (is that a word?) of it all is that maybe, just maybe, the poor, the underserved, the middle class, and even small businesses may decide that maybe that they can be miserable under the leadership of men and women who don’t know what they are doing.

It’s possible, that those who have tasted the benefit of voting by achieving one of the greatest milestones in America (Obama’08, Obama ’12), whether they voted for or against, their votes were put in play, and this country recorded a record number of voters who wanted to be apart of history that either wanted to elect the first Black president in America, or didn’t, regardless of what their intentions were. The milestone was reflected in the voting of millions of America. But now, Americans may still be more motivated, perhaps more hungry for the change that could result in a complete impact on those who sit comfortably in their perceived ivory towers, the House of Representatives of the

United States of America

. It is possible that American citizens may actually be more motivated, or angrier than ever, that those who make decisions over their lives, are making those decisions without regard to the impact that their decisions have on our individual lives. And the real irony of it all is that those decision-makers, those leaders, our leaders, damn it, are exempt from their own life-altering decisions. But that perspective seems to always be a non-issue.

“Oh no you didn’t!”

The first thing that comes to mind during this shutdown is that the men and women behind the decision to shut our nation down, were exempt from the loss of income despite how the shutdown itself affected federal employees. Whether this was a recent exemption, or a sustained exemption, it remains a grave insult to the men and women of the federal government, or the military, that they had to sit it out while Republicans and Democrats, including the President, could continue to receive their full salaries while they fought, or failed to communicate, or to do anything to suggest that they are interested in getting people back to work.

What remains less of an obvious concern to many of us as citizens, is that our elected leaders fail to have any fear of the consequences of their actions. What appears overwhelmingly to be indignant is the idea that what is really on the line is more about political ideologies rather than the impact their political strategies are having on American families. At least, that is what it appears to be about. But I contend that it goes further than that. It goes to the heart of everything that is the backbone of every country. It is power, money and greed. It is about either of, or the combination of the three, that at any cost, including the loss of income to the poor, the underserved and/or the middle class, power, money and greed is the most compelling integer of our American government, and no one, including the likes of me, is capable of changing that.

I can say this because it is the most logical thing that I could ever say, and to that end, there is no crime here because if it were, those who are guilty, are exempted from the consequences of their actions. But that’s okay, we voted for any and everyone who carries him or herself above the laws that they make us accountable to. We did that. We voted them in. We made them powerful, wealthy and gave them the ability to exempt themselves from whatever they hold us accountable for in our lives, as Americans. Now what?

America

is not too big fail[11]

It was the first time I had ever heard the phrase, but it was the most sickening phrase ever from a commercial standpoint. The phrase applied to large corporations such as banks, mortgage companies, investment brokerages and insurance companies to name a few. To their benefit, the federal government moved to ensure that many of these large corporations did not fail. How? Through Corporate------wait for it----------Welfare. Yes, the word that plagues poor people by those who believe that the mere millions that the government doles out annually is too great for those who theoretically don’t want to work. Yet, it was Corporate Welfare[12] that large corporations begged for, without shame. To the government’s benefit, this money was supposed to be paid back. But it was, welfare, tax dollars to private companies, that were alleged to be “too big to fail”.

Fast forward to today. What we have in Washington D.C., are political leaders who are sending a clear message that America is on solid ground. Their message to us, as citizens, is that America can’t fail. Why? Because, we are Americans. While that may work for the patriotic side of us, that doesn’t hold water in the eyes of terrorists. It means nothing to other countries who literally hate our guts, and can’t wait to see us implode. And to that end, we may be on the verge of doing just that.

It appears that our political leaders have insulated themselves from not only the laws that they hold us accountable for, but appear comfortable in relying on the reputation of the United States to protect them as well. It is a reputation built on the backs of the men and women of our military forces. It is a reputation build on the backs of statesmen. Men and women who negotiated, collaborated and made possible the fact that the United States could continue to move forward without putting its citizens at risk. That reputation was made steadfast by the willingness of previous federal legislators willing to look for any semblance of common ground so as to bring to the American people a piece of legislation solidified by an agreement that both parties worked together, however tirelessly, or challenged, without putting the poor, the underserved or the middle class in jeopardy of loosing their livelihoods. Today, our leaders are working to destroy that reputation, and the insulation that they believe is theirs to enjoy. It is not. It is their responsibility to rebuild, to fortify, and to ensure that the reputation that they inherited will be undeniable, and preserved for others to follow. I contend that our current leaders are not qualified to carry that banner, and that we therefore, should relieve them of any further responsibility as our political leaders. How?

Mid Term Elections-2014

Our mission, should we decide to accept it is simple.

Register to vote; Study candidates in contention; Support and encourage your candidate of choice; Vote and Hold them accountable

Register to Vote

There is no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes voting for our leadership. The key component is to be registered to vote. If you never thought that your vote counted, you couldn’t be more wrong. The 2000 Presidential, the 2008 Presidential, 2010 Mid-Term, and the 2012 Presidential elections should have been a clear indication of how important voting is. We are witnessing more legislation being put forward to repeal rights to vote, as well as suppressing access to voting places. The pretense is said to be to prevent illegal voting. However, these pretenses are apparently intended to ensure that fewer Americans have access to voting by way of early voting, or being able to vote in their respective districts as had been previously approved by law. With these recent changes, and no doubt more on the horizon, American citizens cannot assume that these changes will not affect them, regardless of their financial status, or connections, even as many of these legislative changes seem to primarily affect minorities. The impact will eventually affect every American, and the sooner we understand that, the sooner we can affect the impact and the probability of these changes becoming widespread throughout the country.

Study Candidates in Contention

It’s important for us to know as much as possible about new candidates who are presenting themselves to run for office. The men and women who are essentially running for a Congressional or Senatorial seat, have to at least bring to the table a clean slate. What does that mean? It means to us, that each candidate is giving us a man or woman who is willing to fight for us, not against us. And, it means a candidate who will not hide behind exemptions, past and present, when they pass a bill.

If there is going to be a change in our nationally elected leaders, the first change we should see, is that each one is willing to propose that all exemptions for House of Representatives be repealed. What? Too much? Too soon? So be it!

The issue here is that as we sit, men and women, small businesses, and those in need of vital services, are going without. Those who make these decisions are congratulating themselves because they “agree” to talk about fixing a problem that they failed to either negotiate, or have given up on altogether. This is not Democracy in action. This is Democracy gone amuck when those who are in positions of leadership, forsake those whom they represent, the American people.

Often we hear of a litmus test in choosing a candidate. It is that presumed test that political groups deny that they have in place, such as whether a candidate is for, or against Obamacare, Roe v Wade, or Immigration reform. Well, here is a new litmus test, that I hope many of us will use as a determining factor for choosing our next representative:

“Are you ready to take the lead for repealing every exemption that every member of the House of Representatives is privy to, and will you offer legislation to repeal and vote for those exemptions? Yes, or No?”

It is a simple test. The answer is without ambiguity. “Yes” or “No”. Now, the problem isn’t whether the candidate will answer the question, it’s whether or not we will ask it. I hope we will, if we anticipate a change in the management of the House of Representatives, we have to ask the hard questions of whomever present themselves as leaders for communities going forward.

Support your Candidate

Regardless of where your candidate stands on any given issue, I do hope you will go all out and support your candidate of choice. Whether he or she is a liberal conservative, or a radical liberal, or a right wing fundamentalist, support your candidate. Only this time, don’t back away when he or she starts doing their thing. You know, the thing where they vote to shut down America because they can’t get their way. Or, should I say, your way? As much as many of us maybe upset with the men and women of the House on Capital Hill, they are doing what they are paid to do, by their respective constituents. They are paid to be disruptive. They are paid to be confrontational. They are paid to, at all costs, by any means necessary, destroy American government until there is no semblance of the Democracy that they swore to uphold, via the United States Constitution.

While it is fair to say that American Democracy came about over blood sweat and tears by way of battles on American Soil such as, the War of 1812[13]; The American Revolutionary War[14], The French and Indian War[15], or the The Civil War[16], the next major war, within the United States of America, will not be fought with guns, gun powder, cannons, or blood running down hills into rivers and valleys. No, those brutal days are over. But the battle for control of America is never-ending. And as we move further into the 21^st Century, America has to be vigilant to protect the Constitutional values of her interior borders, beginning right there, on Capital Hill. This conclusion, as evidence by the risk many of our leaders are willing to take to shut this country down. The supposed issue on the table? Obamacare. Really? It is the law. What does it meand when a political party proposes a bill 43 times to take out a law that even the Supreme Court, despite it Conservative leanings, says is law? Am I the only limitedly intelligent person who is seeing this?

The support of candidates who are all but saying I want to see America fail, has to be as close to treason as any one who has sold secrets to the enemy. Just because they are in the Congress, or in the Senate, does not make them full, red-blooded Americans. But, many of us continue to support them. It is your constitutional right. Even if you support those who have all but damned the U.S. Constitution for their own selfish gain, it is your right.

Your Vote Doesn’t Count (Digressing)

Many believe that their votes don’t count. If that were true, then why so widespread an opportunity to dissolve the rights of those who are American citizens, but for the color of their skin? The idea that people of color, who have met every other condition of citizenship, still have to have a special Constitutional protected provision that permits them to vote, visa vie, the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Is that not insulting to any American in general? If votes don’t count, why the constant changes to voting rights of those who are legal citizens who can’t vote early, or have to show a state-based ID? Or, if voting isn’t so important, why do dead people vote? Why else? They want their votes counted.

Voting

For those of us who do vote, regularly or occasionally, the idea that our votes are being tried and tested at every turn, is perhaps amazing, and somehow, true. Despite the fact that we are in the year of 2013, many of us as American citizens, find that our votes are being weighed for consideration to be cast out, or tossed aside. Reasonably so if we haven’t voted in some time. The decision becomes an easy one: “Throw the bums off the rolls!” But for those of us who live to vote every time an election is on the horizon, we should never have to worry about our votes being held in contempt, correct? No, that is a fantasy, because every vote in America is suspect. Every vote in America is subject to be suppressed; every vote in America is subject to be deleted; every vote in America is as much likely to be perverted by those who have their own agendas, as anything else that occurs in American government.

Support of our respective candidates is essential to ensuring that every aspect of American Government continues. But our support can never be bought for cheap. Our support can never be so exploited that we, as concerned citizens, allow ourselves to be co-opted for a cause, while greater than ourselves, could very well be destructive to our American way of life. Voting is so important that too many of us have allowed ourselves to be undermined to believe that our one vote, if not cast, will not matter. Or worse yet, that if we cast our vote, it will still not rise to the level of importance amidst the many millions of votes cast. Too many of us have allowed ourselves to believe that if we fail to vote in one lousy presidential election, or cheesy congressional election, or, one weepy senatorial election, it won’t matter. Our goal should always, not to be undermined, where our votes are not counted.

Holding them Accountable

Let’s be real. Accountability for elected officials is a ship whose time has sailed. As much as we talk about it, and as much as elected leaders claim that they want to be held accountable, neither side is willing to go the extra mile to make it happen. Our elected leaders know that for those of us who do vote, we put our communities on auto-pilot and trust, with niavete, that our representatives will act like the statesmen on whose shoulders they stand. “Naaaaaaah! Not gonna happen! Not-gonna-dew-it! It wouldn’t be prudent.” (in my Dana Carvey imitation of the Senior Bush).

Let’s face it, we are not holding our elective leaders accountable, and they cannot promise to keep their hands out of the cookie jar. So, why not limit everyone to one term? Let’s not give everyone who chooses to make an elected office a career option. One Term! Bring them back home. Many of our respective leaders often retire at the oddest times to spend time with their families anyway. Let’s bring them home, right away, and begin sending new leaders to Congress, every 2 years; new leaders to the Senate, every 6 years, and a 1 term President, every 4 years. Accountability will hardly be an issue because our leaders, thanks to our new approach to voting, will not have the opportunity to build the mega-political empires that comes from being a long-term political leader.

What is the Risk?

Risk? The risk is always there. It’s right here in this blog. How many elected officials would want you to read this if they thought that for one second, you would go for it. I risk everything right now because someone, with deep pockets, and a short list of selective enforcers are prepared to ensure that nothing that I say or suggest will ever meet a groundswell of support. But to my benefit, I think the groundswell has preceded me. And I had nothing to do with it. At least, I don’t think I did. But that is nothing compared to the real risk.

The real risk is that many of us will continue to:

1. not vote at all, and risk that they will have the opportunity to complain about the results of what happens to them and their families;

2. register to vote, but may show up just in time to keep their names on the voting rolls, in which case, their waning, but important voice, can be counted on consistently to help the community to move forward;

3. register and regularly vote, but vote for the usual suspects (career politicians), even though as a voter, complains because things never change, and last but not least,

4. votes along party lines, falling for party issues instead of issues that matter to the future of this country.

Clean Sweep!

Who am I? Just a plain, American citizen. Perhaps my greatest claim to fame is that I am a husband, father and grandfather. But, my vote matters. It matters so much that there are those who are doing everything that they can to either take away my right to vote, suppress my vote, or disregard it in some way. The reason that my vote matters, is because there are those who have been elected, from federal, to state, to local governments, who believe that they have the right to build an political empire with, or without my vote. And because I don’t want career politicians ruining this country, my vote will continue to be the target of those kind of elected leaders.

Suffice it to say (tongue in cheek), that it is only my vote that they are after. That if, and that is a small if, they can just get my one vote out of their way, they could sail on into retirement, having exempted themselves of every law that they have ever passed. That is to say, they have passed a bill on to me, and not fearing the consequences of this one vote. I encourage you to continue to vote without regard to consequences of the actions of those whom we elect. I encourage each of us to continue to vote as we all do, but don’t complain about the fact everything stays the same. Continue to vote, thinking that finally someone who has been in office for 10, 15 or so years is going to change things, and then after another 4 or 6 years, you wonder why things haven’t changed. Isn’t it time we clean house- the House of Representatives? Just a thought.

Disclaimer: All information provided here is deemed to be from reliable sources, but not guaranteed. Please consult with respective consultants, or licensed or certified professional before making any decisions that may affect your income or livelihood.