Better Off?

On January 20^th, 2009, Barack Obama took the oath of office, becoming the 43^rd American to hold the office of President of the United States.  Running on a theme of Hope and Change, Obama’s first inaugural address, echoed that theme.  He said in that speech:

“Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.”

Later on, he spoke of the greatness of this country and acknowledged how it became great by saying:

“In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.

It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.

Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.”

Wonderful words to start off his presidency, but four years later, unemployment is still 7.8% (same as 2009), the median household income is down 4%, almost 3 million more Americans are living below the poverty level, there are still just as many people without health insurance, 13 million more people on food stamps, and the debt has increased by $6,000,000,000,000.

In addition to the increase in taxes that will affect 77% of taxpayers, the Obama administration has added so many new rules and regulations during his first term that the cost to comply with these new rules and regulations is estimated to be more than $500 billion (http://americanactionforum.org/). 

After four years, I am concerned about the direction the United States is heading.  Congress and the President seem more interested in political gamesmanship than doing anything for the good of the country. Obama’s first term policies seemed geared towards expanding the size of the government and increasing its role in the day-to-day lives of Americans. Given some of his policies and appointments in his first term, it seems more than a simple coincidence that his slogan for his 2012 campaign, Forward, has long been associated with European Marxism (The Washington Times, April 30, 2012). 

During his second inaugural address, Obama failed to mention anything about reigning in government spending, instead advocated that global warming, gun control, and gay rights are some of the most important issues facing the country.  He didn’t mention about working with Republicans to solve the debt ceiling, the sequestration, or the expiring continuing resolution.  He said collective action is required to preserve individual freedoms and stated “For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future. Or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores.”

The President doesn’t get it.  Personal liberties are preserved by limiting the power and authority of the government not by collective action.  Sure, no single person can do all those things.  But the sum of individual actions can, and does these things.  No matter how much government intervention, the government cannot “protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune.” Furthermore, not only can the government not protect us from hazards and misfortunes, that’s not the responsibility of government.

I don’t agree with the President and I don’t want more government.  A lot of others feel the same way, but I’ve heard more than one person admit that, now Obama is in office for a second term, they don’t know what to do.  That’s a good question, what can we do?

We can get involved.  Nice sentiment, but what does that mean?  The first step of getting involved is educating yourself.  Learn how Congress works and how laws are made and enacted (http://thomas.loc.gov/home/lawsmade.toc.html and http://thomas.loc.gov/home/enactment/enactlawtoc.html ).  Learn who your elected representatives are (www.senate.gov and www.house.gov).  Don’t rely on the media to provide you accurate or unbiased news, research the issues yourself.  Read the bills under consideration in Congress (http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php).Talk to your friends, coworkers, neighbors, and family members, find out their views on the issues. 

The second step of getting involved is take action. Contact your elected representatives. Letters, phone calls, and emails are effective ways to communicate with them and the President (www.whitehouse.gov).  Attend town hall meetings and candidate events or debates in your community.  Monitor Congressional voting records and let elected officials know how you want them to vote.  If you think they voted wrongly on a bill or issue, let them know.  If you think the voted correctly, thank them.

Finally, get involved in grassroots organizations. Whether it’s Citizens United, Tea Party Patriots, the National Right to Work Committee or some other organization, get involved.  By joining with others of mutual concern in your community, you create a group of concerned citizens that politicians can’t ignore.

Thomas Jefferson, in his first inaugural address, stated, “a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.”  We must get involved to limit the size and extension of the federal government.  Otherwise, there is nothing to hold it in check.  As Thomas Jefferson said, “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold, is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”  We can no longer afford to be silent.