70- To Youth 3: Good Government

Good government involves more than the smooth operations of things written on paper and hard drives, with responsibilities of employees enumerated. It controls many facets of our everyday lives — the water, sewer, gas, electricity and other utilities we use in our homes, our safety driving to and from work or errands, the labor laws that protect our jobs and benefits, food and sanitation standards, collection and distribution of taxes, and so many more aspects regulated by some Department somewhere. Many things we take for granted are under regulation by several government entities at the same time — town or city, county or parish (Louisiana), state or federal — and millions of us are employed in some function of government.

Our politics should have nothing to do with the running of government, but it does, as George Washington feared, consequently, many leadership positions are filled by political appointment regardless of knowledge or experience. Most State and all Federal Agencies can fire employees who promote their candidate or party affiliation while on the job or even on the premises. To a pessimist, good government is an oxymoron, but we’ve seen how easy it is to have truly bad government, for the lawsuits and indictments piled up. We’re constantly told by whoever’s not in power that things are better when they’re in charge, that various agencies are unjust, working against their interests. But that shouldn’t be true if we are our government — we, the people who’re so different yet alike in wanting Justice to prevail.

We elect people to represent our views and vote for the things we would vote for if given the chance. Today’s Youth will be tomorrow’s leaders, so they may decide to have direct voting instead of so many representatives, but we must therefore educate ourselves on the numerous and various government issues. Care must be taken to ensure security, assuring the “right to vote” for all of our eligible citizens, maintaining the integrity of the systems used in various states, using oversight by several government agencies. The more that Americans vote, whether in person or by fingerprint- or signature-verified mail-in ballot, the more Justice will be served. We can confirm the Power of One, not simply in the voting booth but as we speak out against Injustice in our speeches and writings. Debate is one way to express our views and show a candidate’s ability to honor our current Constitution and best-serve our democratic Republic.

My dad was a Labor Union Steward, head negotiator in the AF of L/CIO I later joined in affiliation with AFSCME, so I’ve usually voted for Democrats. Of course, I’ve seen corruption from members of all political parties, for we’re only Human, our sins usually a “reflection of the Time” we live in. It wasn’t so long ago that men were legally allowed to beat their wives, causing law enforcement, neighbors and family members to ignore the abuse. We adjust our beliefs as we’re given new information, understanding the values of honesty and justice, increasing a sense of equity among us. Our judgments are often clouded over by false supposition and innuendo created by liars and cheaters in the world, ones that prove Self-centered and greedy, lacking compassion for those who have less than they, being non-Christ-like. Their lies are repeated by those in the Evil Media, using Fear as their greatest tool. Most Americans, particularly Christians, were teethed on Fear, causing the Negative Forces around us to deceive and enlist followers. My Christian motto: NO FEAR!!!

I recently heard a new term — Neo-liberalism — a New Liberalism, and I see Green Earth and Pure Water activists leading them, attempting to restore Mother Nature to greater Glory. But I also hear stories of how our “Woke” population displays extremes that attract Evil from the Left and the Right. It’s my opinion that less than 10% of us fall in Ultra-Liberal and Ultra-Conservative categories, with the remaining 90% of us being Liberal in some things, especially social issues, while conservative in other areas. (i.e. Kansas) Another strange phenomenon is a Right Wing White Supremacist group with the word Socialist in its title, one of those feared words, like Communist, Marxist and Globalist. (Remember, the first Christians were pure Communists. Read Acts 4:32-35.)

Today’s youth spout slogans touting revolution and Anarchism, much like Allen Ginsberg and Abbie Hoffman of my generation, and some call themselves Social Democrats, as Benjamin Franklin labeled himself, even Socialist Democrats. Just like those other feared words, Anarchism doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone, for most people wouldn’t agree to a complete takeover of government, throwing everyone out of office, because who’s going to take their places in administering functions? Instead, we must find ways to modify or restructure various departments under agreed upon, even compromised, common sense rules, free of politics or religion. Our American Constitution acknowledges the Presence of God as our Higher Power, the Universal Creator of LIFE, confirming the “In God We Trust” slogan that unifies us. We keep in mind, God is not religion and separation of Church (any religion) and State keeps our Creator sacrosanct.

Good and effective alterations to government must come from within. Changes to our Constitution are made by Amendment only, being approved by both the Senate and House of Representatives, signed as approved by the President, and given further approval by 2/3 of the states within a designated time. This is the reason that the Equal Rights Amendment hasn’t become a Federal law, for even though it passed for ratification in 1972, it wasn’t passed in 2/3 of the states until 2020, long after the proposed 7 year deadline. (At this writing, 15 states haven’t guaranteed their citizens full Equal Rights.) The decisions made by our Supreme Court automatically become the “law of the land,” but if not made into federal law by Congress, a future Supreme Court may decide that a new case could change everything, hence the overturning of Roe vs. Wade by Dobbs vs. Jackson (Mississippi) Women’s Health Organization.

The eternal American classic argument is states’ rights versus federal law, and many decisions are made by the Supreme Court that refute or uphold these laws that exist in individual states, thereby determining if every state must abide by the same law. Federal Court Judges serve by appointment of the President and are approved by the Senate, and even though impeachment and removal is possible, there’s no avenue for public approval. Recent events have made Americans realize that Supreme Court Justices operate entirely within an unwritten honor code, apparently with no one reporting ethics violations. No one should be a Judge without confirmation by the voters of their jurisdiction, which would be the entire country for SCOTUS.

Everyone is tired of the corruption that’s invaded the Legislative Branch of our Federal Government, also in the governments of various states — payoffs are made by powerful corporations, a few people secretly work for foreign governments, and Tax Evasion is a common occurrence. Many of these elected officials have no conscience, and won’t care if they’re censured as long as they keep their jobs, but consequently most people keep quiet about what they know, with an occasional “whistle-blower” coming forward. There’s suspicions and suppositions about certain Representatives and Senators concerning how they vote, some to benefit their campaign donors, but most will enact legislation that directly addresses the citizens of their districts. Lobbyists have ruined the integrity of this Branch of government, despite those who seek to do good, unselfish deeds with Federal or State funds. The Supreme Court ruling for Citizens United keeps donations secret, denying transparency concerning billions of dollars for favors performed.

In today’s society, voting is exceptionally important, and most of the young people I know vote. I’m proud of them, but everyone gets tired of the same old routine, the same old people to vote for, and the fact that many laws enacted don’t mean anything to us. It’s imperative that we sustain good ethics in very level of Law Enforcement and our local, State or Federal Criminal and Civil Courts, for therein lies True Justice. Our voting system, however maligned by the losers as easily falsified, is the most accurate representation of public sentiment, of our true voices, with power in “majority rules” decisions. One fight in recent years is for dissolution or modification of the Electoral College, de-personalizing it. Modern technology gives us the ability to monitor precise numbers and calculate percentages, leaving little room to question accuracy.

For many generations Western Civilization was forged by an Aura of Patriarchy, an animal holdover from the “me, Tarzan, you, Jane” mentality, promulgated by certain religions of our ancestors, with little support or recognition for equal rights of women — the right to own property, vote, legislate, be employed as to our desires and abilities, serve in the armed forces, and even achieve leadership status. The present generation, by whatever name they’re labeled, appear more in tune with the Science of our world, the natural physical environment as well as the Spiritual dimension, for they were raised on Science Fiction and Fantasy. Despite a gnawing fatalist atmosphere, most believe that we need to protect our environment, secure our individual freedoms, and take care of those less fortunate than ourselves, the “least of these,” as Messiah Yeshua said.

Most of our young people believe that it doesn’t matter whether we’re male or female, perhaps choosing to be bi-sexual or non-binary, or whether we’re black, brown or “white” in all shades and hues. Each one of us is a Human Being of Planet Earth, and I believe that in Eternity we’ll be both male and female, comfortable in our Spiritual bodies, also absorbing and reflecting all color and music through the LOVE of God. I further believe that Messiah Yeshua left behind H-S Holy Ghost as El Shaddai, our Provider/Protector/Comforter, while he prepares a place for us, somewhere out in the Universe, where we will exist in Perpetual Ecstasy. According to DNA Truth, we were once One Family, and in the United States of America we can become One Family yet again, especially as we strive for Equity of persons and Justice in Good Government.

“Revolution” by the Beatles, from the White Album, 1968