Voting
Information…
Make
sure that you are prepared for the upcoming election!!
cityofmadison.com
This election year Wisconsin voters have to deal with several new voting
restrictions passed by the Republican-controlled legislature and signed by Gov.
Scott Walker (R).
www.aflcio.org
America-
Love It or
Own
It. . .
Americans don't like to
examine their politics or history. We
prefer to believe that we live in a democracy, and that our nation is built on
the ideals of equality and justice for all.
We want to continue to pretend that our nation's history is filled with
great people, doing great things, and that we should be revered by the rest of
the world. Those political and
historical "facts" are enough for most people, and they are not
terribly interested in learning or hearing about any other possibilities. In fact, many of us are willing to ignore
ideas that contradict our dogmatic beliefs, and will even go to great lengths
to destroy alternative viewpoints.
The conservative majority in the JeffCo School Board has
passed its controversial US History Censorship proposal.
When we avoid unpleasant
information and suppress opposing viewpoints, we veer off the path of equality
and justice and end up charting a course away from democracy. This isn't anything new to our modern version
of American democracy. In fact, the
constant tension between social justice, and the existing political, social and
economic systems that we have in place have been a source of conflict
throughout our history. We can't ignore
the realities of our history and gloss over the injustices that have existed if
we are ever going to move forward towards a truly equitable and just
society.
When asked, most of us
would agree that we want to live in a nation where equality and opportunity for
all are the norm. We want a place where
we, and those close to us, can live in safety and enjoy a standard of living
that allows us to be comfortable and happy.
We also want our neighbors and fellow citizens to enjoy these same
opportunities. However, it is only
natural that we put our own needs first.
This is where government, laws and a social order come into play. In a democratic society we need to have rules
that advance the good of the many so that no individual or small group is able
to dominate and control our social, political and economic systems.
Yet, in 2014 we are
experiencing a trend that is stratifying our society in ways that are troubling
and destructive towards our national ideology.
We are seeing small groups of people control a great amount of our nation's
wealth, and they are using that wealth to impose their will on our entire
society.
Together, Charles and
David Koch control one of the world's largest fortunes, which they are using to
buy up our political system.
rollingstone.com
This raises several
questions. Is it possible to be
self-interested and still be a patriotic citizen? Is our national ideology of freedom and
opportunity being used against the majority of us? What really is our national identity and
historical legacy? Is it one of freedom
and opportunity, or have we always been "ruled" by an elite
class? Do capitalism, democracy and
equality blend well together? The
answers to these questions are significant as we move forward into a future
that is uncertain and filled with barriers to our achievement of a socially
just society.
America
asked two prominent members of Congress, both Catholics with famous names, to
respond to Pope Francis’ repeated calls to empower the poor.Paul...
americamagazine.org
The answers to these
questions are not fixed and absolute.
They have been debated for centuries and will continue to be topics of
debate in the future. When we look back
over our history we see a pendulum swinging between different types of
representation. Groups have been
excluded from power, included, and then excluded again. Regulations have tightened and eased. Rights have been granted, restricted and then
expanded. All of this inconsistency has
been the result of the world we live in, major events and individual
leadership. Yet, through it all there
are some common threads that bind the fabric of our history together. There is the thread of Progressive social
activism and democratic ideology. There is
also a thread of oligarchy and the dominance of the elite (Robber Barons, Job
Creators, Founding Fathers, etc.) Where
we, as a nation, fall on the political spectrum depends on which group is able
to control the most power at any given time.
The pendulum has
definitely swung towards oligarchy in recent years. We are seeing a small number of individuals
and groups exploiting the indifference and apathy that too many citizens are
demonstrating. Because only a small
number of citizens are actively participating it is relatively easy to control
our "democratic process." Once
power is achieved, those in power will do their best to maintain control and to
cement their status in our system. This
is currently being done in several ways.
One of the ways to control
a democratic society is to dominate our ability to engage in discourse around
controversial issues. While it is
difficult to engage a nation of millions in a substantive debate, the voting
process allows each citizen to express their opinion in what should be a
meaningful way. Voting is a right and a
privilege that should be available to every citizen if we are truly going to
have a representative government. Yet,
we are seeing efforts to restrict voting in almost every state in America.
Wisconsin's new voter ID law could keep me from voting at age 87
Ruthelle Frank: I’ve been registered to vote since 1948. But
once Republicans passed the law, I was asked to prove I’m not an ‘illegal
alien’
theguardian.com|By Ruthelle Frank
Because of the complex nature of any
system that sets guidelines and rules for a nation of millions, our decision
making processes are too often accessible only to those with time and/or money
to influence them.
If Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) is reelected this
November, he may be able to thank a liberal Democratic senator for his victory.
thinkprogress.org
In case there was any remaining confusion with regard to the
precise political intentions of the U.S. Supreme Court’s activist majority,
things were clarified Monday. The same majority that has made it easier for
corporations to buy elections (with the Citizens United v. FEC decision) and
for…
thenation.com
Our national discourse about important
issues is also shaped by the media. Too
many Americans are currently getting their "news" from outlets like
FOX that are really editorializing and not reporting. This changes our conversations and eliminates
dialog and discourse.
Jon Stewart has a message for Fox News on #LatteSalute:
"SHUT UP." The network's talking heads have been attacking President
Barack Obama for saluting two U.S Marines with a coffee cup in his hand. But on
"The Daily Show" on Th...
huffingtonpost.com
aattp.org
We can also see the influence of the elite in our public services. One of the most vital of these is our public
education system. A democracy can not
function without an educated population.
Our current battles around public schools are an outgrowth of the
conflict for power in our society.
The influence of an
extreme version of economic idealism can be seen in other places as well. Market driven public services eventually cease
to become public in anything but name only.
High recidivism rates mean more people behind bars, and
Corrections Corporation of America
depends on more and more incarceration to make its billions. Since when do they
actually want people to do well after they get out,...
m.huffpost.com
Organizing efforts, like
those of labor unions, are curtailed in an effort to silence the voices of the
majority.
Yet, the power of the people isn't so easy to ignore or quiet. Across Wisconsin, and around the country
efforts to resist the centralization of power are continuing. These efforts are vital as we seek to
definitively answer those important questions about our national identity. Standing together we truly can become the
nation that all of us were promised.
American Airlines reservations agents just voted to unionize.
It's been a long time coming.
washingtonpost.com
The
Good, The Bad and
The
Ugly. . .
The Good . . . There are plenty of opportunities to get involved and work to elect a
candidate who will be more willing to listen to, and work for Wisconsin.
People volunteered in droves across Wisconsin this weekend to give Scott Walker
a pink slip and elect Mary Burke our next Governor. Union members and...
wisaflcio.typepad.com
The Bad . . . We have a real problem in our country when it comes to how we shape
our children's views about their appearance and in how we stereotype boys and
girls.
I went back to Target today with my daughter after my
discussion with them. I wanted to take pictures to document the current state
of the clothes in their...
huffingtonpost.com
The continuing sexism that
exists in our "free and equal society" is reflected in our public
discourse as well as the choices in clothing that are offered.
Dear Mr. Bolling and Mr. Gutfeld, We are veterans of the
United States armed forces, and we are writing to inform you that your remarks
about United Arab...
talkingpointsmemo.com
The Ugly . . . This election hinges on voter turnout, and the Conservative base
historically dominates mid-term elections.
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