Why You Should Be Informed, Vote and Actively Participate In Our Political Community?

Thesis Statement

“Corporate America is our President. Public opinion is rarely taken seriously in the political arena. If one has the money, one has the power to influence government. An individual vote has no influence against the power of money.”

The Role of Big Money in Politics

Has anyone seen how winning campaigns and holding power require lots and lots of money? In the millions! This morning I read in the Wall Street Journal, a Texan billionaire dislikes President Obama; he promptly donated $1 million to Mr. Santorum's super PAC. The powerful corporations and the politicians are the key players in Washington. Special interest groups appear to dominate government influence. Who is to say the politicians are not influenced by donations of large sums of money. Government jobs and responsibilities are outsourced to the private sector. All politicians are ethically and morally correct.

The role of big money in politics has utterly sidelined competent public administration. The list of recent government failures is long and growing. The report handed to Colonel Powell was out dated regarding weapons of mass destruction; yet, the Bush Administration declared war over Iraq's weapons of mass destruction that did not exist.

The BP gulf oil rig explosion caused the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Katrina's emergency response system was deplorable to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. There is an ongoing banking crisis of our financial institutions. It is not only here; it is global. The word, austerity, is now commonly used in Europe, and with more bank closures in the US, I would not be surprised the word “austerity” will be a common household word. Today, we face budget deficits unprecedented since I can remember. Programs are being cut. Our educational system is failing our children. As a result, the public's confidence in government remains at an all time low, and the American dream is fading for many during this economic uncertainty.

We the people are not actively participating in our civic duty. Let's remind ourselves, our Constitution begins. 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. We, the people, must effect change to ensure that our government is as President Lincoln described in his closing words in his Gettysburg Address, a government of the people, by the people and for the people. It is going to be a challenge as we have allowed the current state of affairs to occur through complacency and not actively participating in our civic duty. We can do this together. Money is power and power is winning, almost. We do not need to have millions of dollars. We can effect change in this presidential election. We have the power to effect change when we are informed on the issues and candidates, vote and actively participate in our political process.

A recent article, written by Mark Landsbaum, in the Register, entitled “Are We Too Dumb to Vote” is based on a study conducted by Cornell University and supports that most citizens are not able to recognize the best candidate and/or understand the complexity of the issues. Mark Landsbaum utilizes a phrase ...