Who REALLY has the power?

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,^[1] promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (Emphasis added)


In times like these, it's easy to get lost in the scope of the problems which face our country. At what point do We the People realize that an elected official is Our employee and answers to Us? That We are the ones ultimately responsible for the state of Our Union? That when a government is out of control it is up to US to put it in its place? Please, do not misunderstand me, I am not saying that people should take up arms against the Government. In Our representative democracy, Our republic, Our Voice and Our Vote bring about the changes that We desire. But a republic is only as strong as its populace. Educated and armed with good information, grounded in principles and attentive to the actions of its representatives, the People can Not be circumvented, but a poorly educated and informed people who are apathetic to the plight of the republic are little more than pawns in the hands of the power hungry and wicked OPPRESSORS who manipulate them to whatever nefarious ends suit them or maintain their seat of power.
I say this out of no allegiance to any singular political party, the only political party We need is America. In my opinion all political parties should be dissolved thus reducing the blind allegiance to partisanship that pervades the established elite, and provides a structure by which those outside it may be divided and, as a result, conquered. I view the very existance of the parties as a virus which destroys the system Our country's founders so painstakingly created to preserve Freedom, Justice, and the Pursuit of happiness (Pursuit being the key word). How long will We let the government run free ravaging Our Freedom and Prosperity, and, more importantly, that of Our Posterity before We the People discipline them like the poorly behaved children that they are?
I ask you, have you read the so-called stimulus bill? Did your representative read it before he or she voted on it? I suggest to you that they did not read the 1400+ page bill in the less than 48 hour period that they had access to the final draft of the ridiculous Keynseian garbage "stimulus" legislation. If the people We hired to read these pieces of legislation cannot even read it let alone understand the various references that are contained therein in time to vote on it as it was scheduled, how can We, who have so many other aspects of our lives to focus on, understand and contemplate it. It's absurd and, I contend, even criminally obstructionist. When did anything good happen in any venue when it was rushed. We are being led towards the destruction of Our Republic, and, whether it is intentional or not, We the People of the United States of America are going to have to take steps, personally, to ensure this is the last time Our leaders take advantage of Us under the guise of crisis. I beg of you, for the first time or again read the United States Constitution, and ask yourself, "Is the government doing what we hired them to do? Are they doing anything we specifically told them NOT to do?" If they are, TELL THEM, and do Not vote for someone who does not meet those criteria. FIRE THEM. Let no man or woman in the House of Representatives, the Senate, Executive Branch, or Judicial feel secure in the JOB We have hired them to do, lest they again overthrow the Will of the People. Below I provided Article 1 sec. 8 which spells out the duties of the legislative body We elected. If it is not stated here, they do not have the Power to do it. Where in this is it stated that Congress may distribute funds to private companies, or nationalize a private entity?

Thought to ponder: Where does it stop? If we allow the government to Own Private entities, at what point do they no longer have the authority? Homes? Businesses? Personal Assets? Rights? Thoughts? What do you think?



Article 1
Section 8: The Congress shall have power

To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;

To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;

To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;

To establish post offices and post roads;

To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;

To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;

To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;

To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years;

To provide and maintain a navy;

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;

To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings;—And

To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.

Massachusetts

I found an article on AP yesterday. Apparently Gov. Deval Patrick (D) of Massachusetts has set into motion sweeping education reforms there. Among the proposed changes are universal pre-school, 2 year community colleges will be free for high school grads, making the school day 2 hours longer, stronger math and English requirements, and increased teacher training programs. I applaud Gov. Patrick for taking real steps to change the education system in his state. I will be interested to see how Mass. will fund these new initiatives. Patrick has set a goal of 2015 for enacting the changes. He has called for the formation of a "Readiness Project" to find ways to fund the "cradle to career" education plan.
One has to wonder, however, if parents will want their children in what are, essentially, government hands for the additional time. Once again, change in education is good, but where does education end and indoctrination begin? Who decides who children should be taught by and when?
Ideas?

Thoughts on Education

Fact: The United States education system has a multitude of problems confronting it.
Slipping standards, poor teacher salaries, school shootings, the rising cost of higher education, lack of parent involvement, and a host of other issues face educators, students, and their families. So, the question facing Americans of all ages today is a simple one. How can we solve the problems facing education today? The answer is far more complex, and the process far from easy. Where to begin? We've tried to face problems of slipping standards and funding through the now infamous "No Child Left Behind" Act. Neither problem was solved, however, and all that was developed through it is a growing disillusionment as to the dubious methodology of our elected leadership. We must look at each child as an investment in the future of the world. Somewhere in an inner city may be the child who could, with the proper education, cure cancer, or AIDS, or send us to the farthest reaches of space. Nothing is beyond the reach of humanity's children, and yet they are our most neglected resource. Simply giving our education system more funding is like sending billions of dollars in aid to a nation that uses it to build palaces while the people starve. To throw more money at it doesn't fix the problem.
I have a few ideas. By no means are they perfect, but they are ideas for change which could actually be implemented in a reasonable amount of time.
What if our schools were run like a business with investors to whom they are beholden? Could our school administrators be given more liberty with school policies that would allow them to tailor to the needs of their communities? What if we started pilot schools that take on education from a completely different angle? Could we find a new formula for educating our children that would revolutionize the way we look at education? Why not require real world experience in a teacher's focused area before they can teach? Perhaps we could try more individualization of the learning process from an earlier age. How can we involve older children in the education of the younger? Would it be beneficial? How can we foster both a sense of community and of competitiveness in our young people? What if we required more reading? Could leadership development programs be made a requirement at all levels? Only a few? Which and why? What would happen if we privatized education? Just a few ideas I have. Next post I'll expand on a few, but in the meantime think, respond, offer ideas.
Don't forget to read up on education news and look at what's happening in America today.
Pursue truth.

Hello Everyone

Hello Everyone!
I am very excited to be starting this new blog, The Search, looking for real solutions to real issues in America. Education, security, family, politicians, the environment, and many more.
I am NOT saying in any way that I am an authority on these issues, just someone who is concerned about the environment of division in our country. I, just like many of you, am trying to find the things that we all can agree on, and that can cause real change in our country. You will not agree with me on everything, you may disagree with me on most things, but I hope that we can always agree that we all want to create a better now. Tomorrow will always be out of reach, and the past is set in stone, but we can change the present with an eye to tomorrow. Let's look at the big picture and find where we can paint over it and make a more beautiful portrait of the world we all share. Please comment, and consider this a safe place to put forward ideas, but please do not attack anyone who does comment personally. Ideas are fair game here. Mine and yours. So, first and foremost, what is the most pressing issue in America today? I know for me it is education, and soon I will put forward some of my ideas on it. What is it for you?