[ SHOWGSD-L ] on becoming politically active... (LONG)
- From: "DavidFritsche" <d_fritsche@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "showgsd" <Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 17:40:48 -0700
> That's very smart - but first you have to find someone who is running for
> election and also thinks your/our way, then you are halfway (1/3 ?) or
> maybe the other way around.
> Lee
Right Lee, Or.... Run yourself! You might be surprised.
The phenomena is: The general public tires of those in office and the bad
publicity that necessarily follows those in politics, so every once in a
while we "throw the bums out."
I've read the thread about bad legislation and thought to stay out of it,
but I do have a perspective and would like to share it...
For years I taught a class each semester at the local Community College in
the Criminal Justice Department. I started each class by saying, "Crime is a
solvable problem." Each time I said that, there was a strong reaction. The
students always came back with an argument, usually their belief that crime
rates continued to soar and was out of control. I would come back with the
facts, through the late 80's & 90's when crime rates in fact declined almost
everywhere across the nation. I would then point out that most countries of
the world had smaller crimes rates than ours. I would then show pictures
that Linda took in China, of police on every street corner and everywhere in
areas where there were crowds gathered. I would then site what were crimes
in other lands that were not crimes here and what the penalty was. Then I
would state my premise again, "Crime is a solvable problem."
All we have to do is put a police office in every home, on every corner and
in every store isle. Then we give them the responsibility to shoot and kill
on sight every shop lifter, every thief, every obnoxious person, anyone who
sneezes without putting a hankie over their face.... You get the point.
The fact is, in our culture, where public officials come from among us and
are elected by us, we choose the level of crime we have. That's right... We
make that choice. We decide that we are not going to permit official
intrusion into our privacy, and we call it freedom. The problem is, there is
a continuum between freedom and control. The more we want freedom, the less
control is available to the public officials who are charged with public
safety. The more we opt for reduction of crime and public nuisances, the
less freedom we have. It does not work both ways - If we opt for better
controls, we by that very fact, permit more crime - and visa versa.
Politicians are fond of promising to keep us safe - get the criminals off
the street, hire more police, build more jails... The end result is we build
more jails and because we have more police on the street, we fill them up.
Now mind you, I am an anti-crime, ex-cop, conservative, but I am not in
favor of greater controls and moving toward a police state. I am not in
favor of big government, putting everyone in jail or making everything a
crime.
The problem seems to be that almost every city in the world (slight
exaggeration) is passing dog laws that scare us. Yet, there are legitimate
problems in our communities with over population of animals without homes,
people who let their dogs run at large and breed randomly, then, since we
are known as the dog people in our communities, we are the brunt of the
legislation that is a lame and vain attempt to solve the problem.
The solution is to not react with fear of the politicians who we have
elected. The solution is to find answers that fit our situation, propose
them to receptive legislators, and actively support their passage. Can't
fine a receptive ear? Then run for office, campaign like He**, and "throw
the bums out." It's the American Way.
I have personally proposed several pieces of legislation to our state
legislature through a state senator friend. Most have passed. It will work,
it just takes a simple understanding of what to do and the lack of fear to
just do it. It really is not that complex or awesome.....
Dave
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