Do the following statements ring true for you?
- We live in a representative government that requires all citizens participate to some degree in the process
- Voting (especially in primaries) is not sufficient to affect any significant influence (see video “How to Rig a Majority Vote“)
- Most people do not ‘have the interest’ or ‘the time’ to actively and meaningfully participate in politics.
If those are truthful statements (and I believe they are), then we have a serious problem. The positions of political power filled by our elected officials attract the exact opposite personality types that would serve to fix the problem! Modern politicians do in fact build careers around ‘public service’, each day working to strengthen the importance of their office, and strengthen their own re-election probability. What is needed are politicians who work each day to establish the proper role of government and measure each action with the intent of the foundation laws, but who will devote their career to to destroying their career? There has to be a counter-check; ordinary citizens have to make considerable efforts to exert their will on elected officials. There are only two avenues to do this, either or both are options, but doing neither is shirking your responsibility!
Option 1: Give Time
The core goals of the North Texas Citizen Lobby is to convert human energy into useful legislative influence and action. Find out how the daunting task is broken down into pieces individuals can work on.
Option 2: Give Money
There are many special-interest groups who could be more influential if they had more resources available. Supplementing your own efforts by helping organizations which represent your interests can be an effective way to translate your wishes into action.