The early demise of Pennsylvania Democratic Senator Arlin Spector, Utah Republican Senator Bob Bennett, the Kentucky victory of Rand Paul and the recently faced run-off of Blanche Lincoln cannot be better news to those of us seeking “change we can believe in.” Many other incumbents, from both political parties, are facing increasingly difficult elections this year, as well. While pundits and other “experts” try to explain what is happening during these ever-increasing rounds of status quo political blows, the people are quite pleased. The obvious question to those in D.C. is “Can you hear us now!?!”

We-the-People, tired of waking up to more losses of liberty, never wanted this kind of “change” and are sending a very loud message to the buddy network at the federal level…Protect our rights or get out of our House! In a recent Washington Post/ABC Poll, only twenty-nine percent of Americans continue to support their present Congressional representatives. That says a lot about how Americans feel they are being represented (or misrepresented!), as it is an all time low for incumbent support. Bloomberg is reporting that a late-May Gallup poll shows that sixty percent of those polled would prefer a candidate that has never run before as opposed to the thirty-two percent of people who would like to see someone with at least some legislative experience.

A Washington Post article states, “This sour mood has made for nervous politicians, as candidates from both parties have tried to figure out what voters want -- and don't want.” Really? That means that our REPRESENTATIVES are still not listening! In an effort to enlighten them, let us take a look at a few key things.

First, what does representative mean? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as standing or acting for another especially through delegated authority, constituting a government in which the many are represented by persons chosen from among them usually by election. And to represent means to act in the place of or for usually by legal right, to serve especially in a legislative body by delegated authority usually resulting from election. The first line of the United States Constitution tells representatives whom they will be representing: We-The-People.

What incumbents need to know is that the people are fed up with their utter lack of representation. These politicians do not get elected to go to Washington DC so THEY can decide what is best for us and then cram it down our throats. Let me put it in plain English…Stop deciding for us and just go to DC and protect our rights! THAT is what we elect and pay you to do! Is that so hard to understand?

We know our representatives actually do understand us. The New York Times reported that Democrats are skipping Town Hall meetings this summer because their constituents are still fuming and they don’t want another repeat of last year’s devastating get-togethers. Why would their constituents still be angry? Because last year’s Town Hall meetings saw irate voters livid over the Healthcare debate, and yet, our representatives passed the catastrophic healthcare legislation, anyway. They can be absolutely sure that we remember their lack of concern for our views. Now, is that representation?

The article says that Democratic Party leaders had advised their members to hold “controlled” events, do not engage in unscripted Q&A-type meetings, and get active in the community. The question for these Congressional representatives is, how are you going to know what the people you represent want you to do for them if you are not going to engage them in conversation? While a handful of these elected officials said they thought the meetings last year were informative, they are not repeating their Town Hall meetings this year.

So, what happens now?

From the looks of it, the people may get some much-needed new representation in DC. Incumbents are finding it harder and harder to hold on to their seats, as those who have had enough of their Congressmen and women’s do-what-we-will attitude are stepping forth and getting involved.

The new film, Don’t Tread On Me, has become an invaluable tool to educate the masses as to the role government should play in our lives and the duties of our elected officials. Our country’s Founding documents are clear, yet our Congressional representatives continue to let us down. Congress derives its power to govern from the people, not themselves. Their duty is simple…Protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies…ALL enemies. And, for those who may be unsure just who those enemies are, they would be any person or country who would deny us our unalienable right to life, liberty and our pursuit of happiness.

Just to be sure we understand what we are talking about, let us take a look at a few other important terms. Liberty, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary means “the quality or state of being free, the power to do as one pleases, freedom from arbitrary or despotic control and the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges.” The root of the word simply means free. Life, in old English, comes from the word that means to live. Pursuit means the act of pursuing, and to pursue means to engage in. The obsolete definition of Happiness may be the most telling. Happiness used to mean good fortune or prosperity. The present meaning is still good for our purposes, though; the state of being content…well-being, to experience satisfaction or pleasure.

What does all of this tell us? It tells us that our Founding Fathers wanted the inhabitants of this new country to have the inherent right to be free to live our life in good fortune and to be able to experience pleasure and satisfaction or enjoyment in our social, political, and economic rights and privileges…to be content in our free lives. Simple enough!

We have all heard “Constitutional Experts” and others tell us that the Constitution, along with other founding documents, is unclear with regards to what our rights actually are. We have heard it over and over again, it just says you have these “rights,” these “inalienable rights,” that cannot be taken, but they are not defined. I beg to differ! The Declaration of Independence clearly states that we are given certain unalienable rights. What rights? “That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Constitution says in the opening line that it’s stated purpose is to “secure the Blessings of Liberty”…To whom? “To ourselves and our posterity.” How much more clearly can this be made?

Since our infamous Congressional representatives cannot understand it, how do we achieve this? Our forefathers laid that out for us, as well…by limiting the central government and retaining as many rights as they could for the State governments and the individual people of the United States. Where can we find this bit of information? Don’t Tread On Me poignantly points out that this most important information is listed in our Constitution and our Bill of Rights: most especially our Ninth and Tenth Amendment rights.

I am not Ivy League educated (maybe that is the problem!), but I can tell you this; it took me a couple of afternoons of reading through some of the debates during the writing of the Bill of Rights to understand exactly what our country’s framers had in mind for their fellow countrymen and women. So what was that, exactly? To have a section of the world’s population who is actually free to be happy and pursue their own interests, unencumbered by government intrusion. This bit of information coincides with the information in Don’t Tread On Me, and has brought about a major shift in the consciousness of Americans who are frustrated with the utter lack of their Congressional representation.

The people are getting it as they are beginning to understand what has gone wrong and what it will take to make our country great again. They are forming new groups or joining others that have been around for a while. Some are getting involved with old groups, all in an effort to make a difference. They are paying attention to alternative news…they are waking up and getting involved!

In the face of harsh criticism on the federal level, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has promoted legislation that will protect her state against the onslaught of illegal immigrants. Citing that the Federal Government would do nothing to secure the Arizona/Mexican border, she took matters into her own hands and asserted her state’s right to take care of itself.

In Maine, the Republican Party, at the hands of many dedicated individuals, showed backbone this past May when they rewrote their political platform, returning their State Republican Party to it’s Constitutional roots, with an emphasis on retaining its Tenth Amendment rights. Montana and Tennessee were among the first states to tell the federal government that guns manufactured in their respective states, with parts manufactured in their respective states, and that do not cross state borders, are off limits to federal gun laws. Many other states followed suit.

Many states, in fact, are seeing the benefit of asserting their Tenth Amendment right to govern in the manner to which they see fit, without federal strangleholds on the issues that their citizens find important. The Tenth Amendment Center reveals that several states are introducing or passing legislation to re-establish the Tenth Amendment on the state level. From the Firearms debate to Medical Marijuana to Health Freedom to Real ID to Cap and Trade and anything in between, the states are taking charge.

This election cycle is proving to be a very interesting one, as mainstream politicians are realizing that we do, indeed, want that illusive “change we can believe in” and that we were deadly serious during the Town Hall meetings back in 2009. Politicians better start representing the people they serve or they will face a loss of their lucrative little political careers or, for the newcomers, they better represent the people who chose them or their political careers will be VERY short-lived. Let it be known now that we, the people of the United States, will be watching every move you make, and if you plan on representing us, you had better know OUR Constitutional rights and protect them. After all, that IS what we elect you to do!

End Notes:
Take Back Washington
www.TakeBackWashington.com

Voters' support for members of Congress is at an all-time low, poll finds
 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/08/AR2010060800016.html?wpisrc=nl_headline

Lincoln Wins in Arkansas; Angle to Face Nevada’s Reid
 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a_4ex_PG3sMM&pos=8

All definitions are from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary
 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary

Democrats Skip Town Halls to Avoid Voter Rage
 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/us/politics/07townhall.html?nl=us&emc=politicsemailema1

Arizona Enacts Stringent Law on Immigration
 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/us/politics/24immig.html

Platform of the Maine Republican Party
 http://www.mainegop.com/PlatformMission.aspx

Tenth Amendment Center
 http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/