Time To Stop Petitioning – Time To Take Action

by Sylvan Malis

In the United States the right to petition is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. This right has been exercised over the years to affect changes to the way the central government operates in regards to what the people of the country collectively demand. These demands usually reflect the community standards, principles, and moralities. Today we have continued the process of petitioning our central government through the e-mails, letters, faxes, and telephoning of our elected representatives. We even have organizations that represent specific issues that we have passionate feelings about and collectively present our petitions of grievance to our elected representatives.

There are groups who daily ask for us to sign petitions, send letters, and send faxes to our Congressional representatives. We are asked to pay 29.95 to fax all of the members of the House and Senate on whatever the next illegal bill that is being proposed. For what good does this accomplish? Probably the only good is for the person who shelled out the money to feel like they have done something. The truth is that most likely nothing was accomplished, except that the people who organized the petition drive put 29.95 in their pockets times the number of people who paid the 29.95. At least one segment of the business world is thriving.

But now with all of the laws and regulations that the Washington political machine keeps grinding out, it is time to recognized one thing. The elected representatives have turned a deft ear to our petitions. The arrogance of the political process has made the process of petition useless.

We also have the process of elections to be the final redress of a representative who refuses to be accountable to the people. Unfortunately the elective process has become an industry in itself and no longer has the ability to represent the will of the people. There is corruption in the campaigning, voting, and ballot counting and tabulation that invalidates many of the elections across the country. Then we also have the quality of the candidates to take into consideration. Today we sometimes have to choose between the lesser of two evils in the selection of our representatives. This doesn’t resolve our original problem of correction of a runaway central government.

Now is the time for action, or in some cases inaction, when confronted with the fusillade of edicts from the ever increasing dictatorship in our former Constitutional government.

The time is past for trying to accomplish, through reasonable dialog with our elected representatives, the rectification of the abuse of power by the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the central government. Now is the time for primarily passive resistance though non-compliance of the laws that have been passed that are illegal according to the terms of the Constitution. Now is the time to actively resist through peaceful civil disobedience when we are commanded to respond to a requirement of the central government that is not provided for or contained in the Constitution.

So what do we do? Individually we will eventually be forced by the police state into doing what is commanded by the central government. But if we are united and collectively resist, then we will be the force that breaks the back of a police state government.

Back when I was in school we were taught that the power of the people was when we all stood together we were strong. When we stood alone we could be broken. In the patriotic symbols of our country we still see the bundled reeds, fasces, that are tied together to represent the strength of our country. The seal of the US Senate has two such symbols at the bottom symbolizing that when we unite in principle and cause there can be no force that will break us. No tyrant or dictator can ever overcome us if we stand together.

We have taken the first step by waking up to what the effect is of letting the politicians run the country without any oversight. We have sufficient numbers now to make the statement that we refuse to look the other way and blindly let the politicians run roughshod over our Constitution and the rights it gives us.

Do they believe that we mean what we say? They are not sure. They know that something is happening but I suspect they think it will pass and then it will be back to the same old way of doing things. We are being tested right now. The question is, will we pass the test?

Like the reed that stands alone, we will break in a mild breeze. But like the bundle of reeds, we can withstand the strongest of winds.

Now is the time to stand together. Now is the time to dig our heels in and just say NO! Now is the time to resist and not follow the dictates of the central government, or the local governments if they are acting in an unconstitutional way.