THE COST OF DEMOCRACY

IN ORDER TO GET ELECTED TO A NATIONAL OFFICE, IT TAKES A ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY TO RUN STAFFS, ADS, TRAVEL, ETC.

EVERY CANDIDATE NEEDS TO GET FINANCIAL HELP TO COMPETE. THIS COMES IN THE FORM OF DONATIONS FROM INDIVGUALS, GROUPS, AND INDUSTRIES. EVERYONE EXPECTS SOMETHING FOR THEIR DONATION. BIG PHAMA WANTS TO KEEP DRUG PRICES HIGH, THE OIL AND GAS COMPANIES WANT FREER ACCESS TO DRILLING SITES AND EASIER REGULATIONS ON SHIPPING AND PROCESSING. THE GUN LOBBIES WANT TO BE ABLE TO SELL AS MANY GUNS AND AMMO, WITH AS LITTLE OVERSIGHT AS POSSIBLE. BASICALLY THEY ARE IN IT TO MAKE MONEY, AND THEY EXPECT THE PEOPLE THEY HELP TO HELP THEM.

THEN THERE ARE THE AGENDA GROUPS. ONES WHO WANT TO PROMOTE A CAUSE OR IDEAOLOGY SUCH AS ANTI ABORTION, PRO LGBT, PRO BLM, PRO IMIGRATION REFORM, ETC. BY THE TIME A PERSON IS ELECTED, HE OWES ALLEGANCE TO THOSE THAT PAID HIS OR HER WAY. THIS IS WHY INSULIN IS STILL EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE, THE 100 MPG CARBERTOR NEVER GOT PRODUCED, AND WHY THERE IS SUCH A DEVISIVE ATMOSPHERE IN WASHINGTON AND THE NATION.

WHAT IS THE ANSWER? SOME SAY TERM LIMITS. BUT AGAIN YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. IT USED TO BE PEOPLE GOT INTO PUBLIC SERVICE BASED ON IDEALISM NOT GREED. WE ARE BEING PRESSURED ON ALL SIDES, AND THE MANY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO WITHSTAND THIS PRESSURE. MASS SHOOTINGS ARE UP, MURDERS ARE UP, SEXUAL PREDITORS ARE TAKING OUR CHILDREN, ROAD RAGE IS SKYROCKETING, AND THE CIVILITY OF OUR HUMAN EXPERIENCE IS DIMINISHED. WE USED TO FIND HELP WITH OUR POLICE AND CHURCH. BUT THE POLICE ARE UNDER AN ENORMOUS PRESSURE ALSO, AND THE SPIRITUAL MESSAGES HAS BEEN SUGAR COATED SO MANY WILL SWALLOW IT WITHOUT THINKING.

IT IS UP TO US. WE CAN CONTINUE ON THIS SLIPPERY SLOPE AND END UP IN THE DUSTBIN OF HISTORY AS ANOTHER FAILED SOCIETY, OR WE CAN BE WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF. WE ARE NOT HERE TO JUDGE OUR NEIGHBOR, THAT JOB BELONGS TO THE CREATOR ALONE. WE ARE NOT HERE TO GATHER WEALTH. WEALTH SICKENS THE SPIRIT. WE ARE NOT HERE TO BECOME POWERFUL, BY BEING ALIVE WE ALREADY ARE. THE ONLY THING WE ARE HERE FOR IS TO LEARN HOW TO LOVE EACH OTHER. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF WE ARE BLACK OR WHITE OR PURPLE, GAY OR STRAIGHT OR TRANSGENDER. THAT IS NOT OUR PLACE TO JUDGE. IF WE CAN SEE EACH PERSON AS A GIFT TO THE EARTH TO BE TREASURED, THEN THINGS WILL CHANGE. IT STARTS WITH ONE, ONE ACT  OF KINDNESS. YOU CAN NOT CHANGE YOUR NEIGHBOR, THAT IS THEIR JOB. BUT BEING KIND TO SOMEONE, EVEN IF THEY ACT LIKE THEY DON'T DESERVE IT, WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER AND THE PRESSURE GOES DOWN A LITTLE IN THE WORLD.

WE ARE STUCK WITH DEMOCRACY AS IS FOR RIGHT NOW. BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO BE COLORED BY ITS FAILURES. 

THANKS FOR LISTENING

AND THANKS FOR BEING PART OF THE WORLD.

THE BEGGAR'S APPRENTICE