OPINION:
We, the People, deserve better. We deserve our voices to be heard, not the voices of our respective parties’ opinions and agendas, but rather what we need, what we feel is right, and what we know is best for our country.
Our Founding Fathers, who painstakingly built our country from the ground up, erecting our great democracy, had this very rudimentary notion in mind: People govern this nation. However, the rich and entitled seem to be the only ones who represent us as they’re the only ones that can afford to run a winning campaign in today’s political society. The will of the people is unfortunately neglected. The political discourse and division in our country today are vast. Ethics and morality from those who govern us seem to be left by the wayside as the media drive greater division with their bias.
Political views and the desired direction of our country differ extremely among our citizens. Still, we can all agree on the moral and ethical progression of our united states and its people to lead as an example to the world. Our democracy is a staple and profound illustration that many across the globe fight and aspire to be and have, and we must set the groundwork and continued pursuit to fight and set the right example for. When we have turmoil among ourselves, the world sees it, and they observe how we proceed. We owe it to ourselves and the world to set the right example: to show the path forward to success where all people, regardless of race, religion, or political views, are equally heard and respected.
We’ve come a long way, but we still have so much to do and stand up for to drive the path forward for generations of freedom fighters to come. We must rid ourselves of the fighting, compromise, and work together by setting our differences aside. We must never stop speaking truth to power, implore and instill righteousness into them, show them what is wrong, and speak out. We can have a great idea for change, but it is meaningless if we do not have the courage to act and be heard. It is our obligation as We the People and, more importantly, our elected leaders, to stand tall for what we believe in.
As our modern-day leaders etched into our principles with ‘In God We Trust,’ we’re reminded in Psalms 52:7 that no person is stronger or more powerful than God, and entrusting in the wealth and power of man leads to destruction. As outlined by our righteous leaders, we have a moral obligation to hold true to this, to guide our nation’s future together as one.
The decades-long career politicians no longer represent their voters. They represent their party’s ideology, using their friends in the media to control agendas and perceive a majority view on topics. The fact of the matter is, they truly do not represent the needs of the people. Ideas of congressional term limits have been floated, and the executive branch has them, but both the legislative and judicial branches do not.
Thomas Jefferson stressed this very notion of tenure limitation to “prevent every danger which might arise to American freedom by continuing too long in office the members of Congress.” As did Justice Roberts, who expressed setting term limits would ensure they do not “lose all touch with reality through decades of ivory tower existence.” Meanwhile, per Rep. Tom Rooney of Florida, over 80% of Americans favor term limits, and 15 states already have them, so why is the people’s will being ignored? We, the People, want term limits. Yet again, we’re neglected.
It’s time for true patriots to lead this country, the real, everyday American citizens – ones that do not have the money to buy elections, ones that do not have to push a policy from a donor, ones that think for themselves, and as one, leads this country forward, setting the right example for the world to move forward with, in a great, citizen-chosen path ahead, ethically and morally.
It starts with us, the silent majority: We the People. We need to fight to end the division and the political discourse, hold the media accountable for their part, then and only then, can we be truly ethically and morally sound – a proud, Unity of We the People.
• David M. Caruth is Head of Military and First Responders Consumer Marketing at Verizon and is an Army veteran.
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