The closer we get to home the more control we have over our political destiny. Think about it. Could you call your congressman and schedule a meeting for next week? Could you even talk to your congressman? When’s the last time you saw a U.S. Senator in a grocery store? Contrast that with how often you see a local school board member, or city commissioner. Laws passed in Congress have a significant effect on our lives from a macro point of view. As I have pointed out in previous blogs, federal representatives pay little attention to what we want. Something like 85% of us, for instance, want term limits. Yet the topic isn’t even debated in D.C. Most of the things that effect our day to day lives happen in our cities, counties, and states.
Given the recent history concerning election integrity, citizens in every state must insist that legislative measures are taken to ensure a free and fair election. In a Constitutional Republic, nothing matters more. In the state of Michigan, the legislature just passed a law that would require the Secretary of State to clean up our voter rolls. A Detroit News editorial reported that a fiscal analysis conducted by the Michigan Senate estimated there as many as 304,000 people on our voting rolls who have not voted since 2000. Another 600 people appear on file who have no date of birth listed. Recent reports indicate there are thousands of others who are deceased, or have moved out of state who remain on the voter files. Fixing this shortcoming in the system should be a non-partisan no-brainer. Every elected representative, regardless of party affiliation, should be for this legislation. Not Governor Whitmer! Insisting she was all for making it harder to cheat, she vetoed a bill that would have made it harder to cheat. Whitmer did not “fix the damn roads” like she promised in numerous campaign ads. She is at least partially responsible for the COVID deaths of countless thousands of elderly people in nursing homes. We still don’t know exactly how many because her administration is stonewalling. Now she is vetoing legislation that would make it harder for bad actors to cheat on elections. Remember these, and other untruths, when you go to the polls to elect a (new) Governor in November.
Now let’s come one step closer to home. Citizens should start going to town hall meetings with current legislators. When there, be sure to ask if they think boys should be allowed to dress and undress with girls, and vice versa. Ask if boys should be allowed to participate on girls athletic teams, and vice versa. If they say yes, they need to be removed from office. If they say no, the follow-up question should be, then why are they? You should ask if Critical Race Theory should be taught to our children. If they say yes, they need to be removed from office. If they say no, the follow-up question should be, then why is it? Ask if they support sexually explicit books in K-12 libraries. If they say yes, well you get the exercise. Get answers to every issue that is important to you. Get them on the record. When you do that you will have completed half of your responsibility. The second half is watching what they do. What they do is, of course, way more important than what they say. If they don’t sponsor legislation to solve those issues, you will need to work to replace them. The same line of questioning should occur when meeting with candidates hoping to hold elected office.
We are able to affect our lives most directly in our home towns. But nothing will change unless we show up at school board meetings. We have to know what is going on. It is important that we join arms to remove members who don’t reflect the desires of their constituents. Of course we can’t remove a person from office if they are unopposed. School boards make many important decisions every year that affect the safety, and education, of our kids. If your school teaches Critical Race Theory, it is because your board approved the recommendation of the Superintendent. If there are boys in girl’s locker rooms, and playing on girls athletic teams, your school board approved the recommendation of the Superintendent. Parents say the safety of their children is foremost in their minds. That rings hollow when they allow schools, and teachers, to teach harmful ideologies to their children. Parents need to decide if their school is actually allowing the above. If their school isn’t permitting it they need to let the board, and the Superintendent, know they will not stand for it to be approved. If the school is permitting the above, parents need to organize to stop it. If the board won’t put an end to the indoctrination, concerned parents need to identify, then unite behind, qualified candidates to run for school board positions. Don’t be daunted by your lack of experience. Those currently on the board had the same amount of experience as you do, before they were elected. The only way anything will change is if concerned parents say no more. It is time to stop asking on FB, what is wrong with us? Why do we allow such nonsense? It is time to join the millions of Americans who are making a difference. I urge you to get involved. It is happening all over the nation. I hope you found this blog motivating. If you did please tell your friends about it. Thank you, Bob