In the March 2 nd edition of
your Daily Republic, we were treated to a dissertation titled: "How does one
define freedom?" This is a very
important subject these days because of the ever-increasing erosion of our
American freedoms. I'm not talking about
the phony-baloney "Obama is going to take our guns from us" hysteria, but rather
very real attacks from Republican politicians on our most fundamental freedom,
our right to vote.
One line in the article that really
struck me was: "The Founders knew well from history that a democracy always
self-destructs when the people discover they can take from others to give to
themselves." This well-worn line, used
extensively and exclusively by conservatives, has almost become their mantra. Right-wing extremists are afraid poor people
will take over the government, take money from the rich, and then give it to
themselves. Like most simplistic conservative
slogans, this one doesn't involve any external factors, such as those found in
the real world, and since it is so simple, it resonates well with their
gullible target audience. Also, like
most conservative themes, it focuses blame on the wrong people. In this Daily Republic column, we have
discussed the fact that far from being "entitlements" funded by rich taxpayers,
Social Security, Medicare, state disability, and unemployment insurance are all
funded from workers' payroll contributions.
You would be surprised by how much money you have contributed to these
programs over the years. My employers
and I, for example, have contributed about half a million dollars to these
insurance plans.
It is not the poor worker, but the
wealthy and powerful who discovered long ago that they could manipulate
governments and "take from others to give to themselves." It is the wealthy and their corporations who
fund conservative think tanks and Political Action Committees and who own the
media that influences us voters. It is
the wealthy who lobby and bribe our representatives with donations, who then
enjoy the resultant contracts, subsidies and tax loopholes, and feed off of our
nation's natural resources. And it is
the wealthy, through their Republican representatives, who are trying to take
away the American citizens' ability to defend themselves from their actions by
curtailing our right to vote. It is the
Republican state election officials who cut-down the number of voting hours and
who reduce the number of working voting booths in Democratic precincts. It is Republican state legislators who are
actively trying to disenfranchise the minorities, poor, and elderly with photo
I.D. voting laws. It is the Republicans
who gerrymandered their districts, ensuring that they would remain in power in
their state and that their representatives in Washington would be mostly
Republican, even when their state votes mostly Democratic. And Republicans in Mississippi are now trying
to overturn portions of the Voting Rights Act protecting all Americans from
their continued abuses of political power.
We are blessed here in California and in Fairfield with
representatives who understand that a citizen's right to vote is the essence of
our freedom. Voter suppression tactics
are rare here and just last week, our Fairfield City Council agreed to hold
local elections in even-numbered years, which should increase voter
participation. Unfortunately, we
Fairfielders live within the larger economic turmoil and political uncertainty
caused by the obstructionist Republican usurpers in Congress.
America's great freedom does not come without great
responsibility. If we are to rely on our
government to protect us from abuse by the powerful, we need the knowledge and resolve
to protect the strength and integrity of our government in return. We must all open our eyes, our minds, and our
mouths.
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