I HAVE A DREAM TOO.....

In my search for more info on the civil unrest that has been going on, I was pulled towards the famous, “I Have a Dream” Martin Luther King speech. The sad fact is that parts of it still ring true today, over 50 years later....

If you haven't read it in a while or never heard it in it's entirety, click here for the written version. I wondered as I went from line to line, how many folks only know the few sentences that are often quoted. They miss the point entirely if that's all the farther they go....

One part that struck me was.... “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men – yes black men as well as white men – would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned.”

You COULD say that America has defaulted for MOST of us. Those in charge have centered more on economic status than anything. If you aren't earning more than enough already, it doesn't appear to be getting any easier in the coming years.

The struggles of the middle-class on down aren't a priority to those we vote for and mean even less to those that run the businesses that employ them. Wages have been stagnant so long as it's now the norm to pay whatever the minimum can be for a particular position. Instead of a growing and vibrant workforce, we have one that “appreciates just having a job”. Is this the best we can do???  I thought this was the land of opportunity????

The rich and powerful have tested us – ALL of us – and we have done nothing in response. Isn't it time to join hands, man AND woman.... black AND white... plus any other group that feels neglected.... join hands to start a new revolution? This one should be directed at those directly responsible for this condition we are in. A revolution for ALL to have a real chance to earn more than a minimum wage.... a chance to use your given abilities to their ultimate capabilities.... a chance to improve the conditions for you and your family... a way out of the crushing reality from a shattered dream.

How much of this trouble we see today is just a symptom of the declining middle-class? Once proud, the voices have been silenced by downsizing, outsourcing, and restructuring. I can't imagine, if we all have a chance to earn a good living at a job we are appreciated and needed, that many of these issues today would go away. A proud man is a mighty force. One that has the strength to lift an entire nation to higher highs, overcome the lowest lows, and keep the peace of prosperity going. If everyone was offered this opportunity, would we be standing in the shadows of chaos today, searching for answers to civility?

I also noticed the section that says, “We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling-off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment.”

We don't need any of the so-called leaders to tell us what to do or how to repair this long suffering damage to our brothers and sisters. If you step back and just watch our children interact with each other, before the hate is taught.... before the hateful words are learned..... before they are exposed to the violence and vengeance of the racial divide.... you will see the wisdom of youth. Playing together, laughing together, being together and enjoying the fellowship we all need. They do not see the differences of color, they see the sameness of humanity. The same number of arms and legs. The same words to communicate. The same sound of laughter, the same reasons to cry. Why do we ever change our minds when we are so correct from the start?????

We can and we must come together. Mistakes have been made, the past littered with memories that must be respected but not repeated. Only together can we bring peace to our land, prosperity to our children, and a future so bright it gives the rest of the world hope that they too can overcome their own lingering problems, to rise above it all, and see peace and prosperity in the eyes of their own people as well. It's time for the UNITED States to be a leader again, not by intimidation, but as an example for others to want for themselves.

One final piece of the speech that struck me as a timely reminder from a national treasure..... “The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundation of our nation until the bright days of justice emerge. And that is something that I must say to my people who stand on the worn threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust all white people, for of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone and as we walk we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.”

This sounded to me like it was written last week.

How crushingly sad, that after all the pain and heartache, after all the violence, after all the death that came to our brothers and sisters, our eyes have not opened enough to see, what is so very clear to most sensible folks – the uniqueness of our humanity can never overcome the terrible decisions and mistreatment we bring down on other living and breathing souls. Be they brothers from down the street or our cousins from the other side of the world, we all ask for dignity and respect, which SHOULD be given freely by everyone. Whatever the disconnect, somehow we must find a was to bridge the gap of ignorance and set free the negativity and beliefs of the past.

We can't repair the damaged relationships by watching an interview, reading an article, or sitting back and hoping for the best. It will take a real effort by ALL of us to make our world the paradise it always COULD have been, what it always SHOULD have been, what it will ultimately WILL be.... with or without us.

Let's start today.....

THROW THEM ALL OUT

A quote I saw that credited former Senator Dan Moynihan - “The quality of our leadership is so low because we expect so little”

I am reading a book that truly depresses me. Throw Them All Out by Peter Schweizer claims to be a revealing look at the United States Congress and why we should use the power of our vote to encourage these Senators and Representatives to choose another career path. I myself have not verified the accusations but note the documented cases given. I also note the 60 Minutes episode [here] that asks questions about the situations in the book.

If you believe what you read, you might agree.

The original observation that started this project was, “How do politicians enter office with relatively modest means, leave rich?”

What makes it depressing? The sheer volume of supposedly documented cases show an alarming behavior by those in the ruling class – using their power, influence, and information gained from their position to profit personally. Not just hundreds of dollars. Not just thousands of dollars. MILLIONS. And more than once. A lot actually.

How do they do it? They use inside information to make money in the stock market, buying or selling, depending on the situation. It doesn't matter which direction the market goes, they can profit if they know what will happen to a particular industry or company.

They get special shares of an IPO that is not available to the regular investor.

They also can buy land that they know will be purchased by the government.

They also can have roads or bridges built using government funding (YOUR MONEY!) to access land they already own, that will double or even triple the value.

Do you think it stops once someone is comfortably well off? Course not. Enough is never enough! It doesn't matter if they have hundreds of millions of dollars in assets, they want more.

And they bring their friends to the party. Friends that donate hundreds of thousands to a campaign and get BILLIONS back in the form of government loans or grants.

You don't want to contribute to a campaign? Well..... you ever hear of a “juicer bill” or a “milker bill”? This is a threat to impose taxes or legislation on an industry that doesn't donate (yet). They label it because it happens! The example given is in hedge funds. After 2007, the amount of money given in political contributions increased almost 700%! Coincidence? If you ignore the threat of increasing taxes on hedge funds, then no. After the “donations” started rolling in, the threat went away.

It paints a very bleak picture of those in charge.

It doesn't matter if the Congressman is Republican or Democrat, both seem to act the same way. If there is an opportunity to make money, they take it. Kickbacks are not needed any more. Annual Federal outlays are over three TRILLION dollars. Who is going to notice a few billion going to friends?

Does this all SEEM illegal? Of course it is – for everyone else! The local elected officials, CEO's of corporations, hedge fund managers, and judges all have laws against using information for personal gain. Not Congress. They are doing nothing against the law because they MAKE the laws. They are above it all.

How do we change it? Does anyone WANT to change it? Apathy is the new revolution. If it doesn't touch YOU, why be involved? In case you didn't notice, it HAS. The last decade is the first on record to have no increase in average income in the US. A whole decade. Did the rich get richer? Do you even have to ask?

From the book -

“Over the past 40 years, we have been governed by the best-educated political class in history. Today, debts mount, the financial markets are in turmoil, the economy is in terrible shape – and the Washington games continue. The problem is not a lack of smart people in Washington. There is no “smart gap”. There is a “character gap”. Like the financial crisis on Wall Street, the root of the problem is not ignorance but arrogance”

We can't ask for the cure to come from the sharks in bloody water.