There is a dangerous driving force loose in our country, and it’s not just politics or fake news—it’s apathy. Lack of interest or concern for issues affecting our families, our neighbors, and our nation. It’s our inability to prioritize important problems because we are just too worn down or comfortable with our status quo to care. Mental health–driven violence, climate-influenced disasters, lack of trust in leadership and business, rapidly advancing technology, aging and our ability to pay for it, animal and plant extinctions, the loss of faith and hope for many. These are not red or blue issues—they are survival issues. We must stop letting government, for-profit business, big media, or wealthy interests set the topics or run the show. The time to step up is now, before we are all affected. Drop the political colors and every other reason separating us. We must reenergize what makes America great and discard the rest. We must prioritize the important stuff and let the distractions go.
First, we must level the playing field. We must remove money and influence from the lineup. Dollars can talk, but they shouldn’t vote. Lobbyists should be limited to hanging out in the lobby. Rather than fighting with big money over free speech, the easy solution is simply creating a better place to get information—a safe place to find real facts about candidates, issues, and really anything else.
Second, determining fact from fiction is possible and a critical part of making good choices. While still under construction, the concept is simple. Allow every topic its day in court. Address the hot topics first. Get pro and con testimony from qualified experts who can provide documented facts. Facts are then checked across the experts, with questionable statements being identified as such but not deleted. Then welcome podcasts and media outlets to discuss the issue with the facts and give their opinion. Membership would be able to vote in the form of yes/no or multiple choice from issue inception and can change their vote during open discussions. Once deliberation is completed, membership would have a final vote. Issues resolved in weeks, not years.
While nothing is perfect, this process could provide valuable information to the uninformed or those who rarely look outside their comfort zone. Once an issue has been resolved, the search for solutions can begin following the same procedure. Experts suggest factual, science-based solutions, then members vote. Multiple-choice options can get the heartbeat of the voter in minutes. Once viable, member-approved solutions are determined, we as a group will offer them to our elected officials to implement. With documented support from voters, government officials should find it easy to implement. Our organization would monitor and confirm action is taking place.
We the People is each one of us, working together to make our collective world better.
Let’s be America proud again.