TEA PARTY
Where Did My Rights Go ? By Charlie and Judy Woolley
OK , we know you ’ ve heard it all before . Get out and vote !! Going door to door in our campaigns we ’ ve also heard , “ I don ’ t vote ”, “ I ’ m tired of politics ”, “ my vote doesn ’ t count anyhow ”, “ it doesn ’ t change anything ”. We also see folks spending time sitting around with their friends complaining , talking about the loss of their rights , how politics stink , and cussing at the news reports on television and radio .
Great , we agree ! What does it accomplish , and again we agree , nothing . Why ? Because it ’ s a closed system ! Sure it feels good to blow off steam , but the net effect is zero when it is confined to the echo chamber of a group of close friends . They mostly agree with you anyhow .
How you spend your time is up to you . That is what freedom is all about . Almost ! Folks spend hours with their electronic devices texting their friends , playing games , having a beer and routing for their favorite teams . It is fun , it takes time , but it does nothing to make your vote count .
With freedom comes responsibility . To maintain your freedom takes time and takes effort and getting outside your comfort zone . First , do you really know what rights are guaranteed by the US and MT Constitutions ? Have you read them ? You don ’ t really need to be a scholar to understand them . You don ’ t like the boring part about the branches of government , duties , etc ., blah blah .. OK , flip to the first 10 original amendments of the US Constitution and in only 10 short paragraphs you will find out what God given rights you should have that have been gradually eroded over the last 200 plus years by unscrupulous politicians , lawyers and scholars . If you don ’ t have this information , you don ’ t know what has been lost or what people swear to uphold as a member of the armed forces , elected officers or legislators . It is your job to hold them to it .
We will grant you that the current federal government overreach into our lives has reached a point where the people are no longer in control . In that case , we have to rely on the state to put up a firewall to protect the rights of the citizens of Montana . This can be done but it requires citizen involvement . Period . End of story .
In Montana we are blessed with a very open and transparent political system by which people from all over a geographically vast state can be in constant contact with their legislators by phone , email , and conventional mail . All the votes taken , laws proposed , and citizens petitions are available to the public as well as information on how to access everything on-line with your smart phone or computer . We are sorry , but with all the available means of easy access , you have no excuse for not being involved .
The reality is that when you send a good candidate to Helena , a representative has only 1 vote out of 100 and a senator 1 vote out of 50 . It is up to you as a citizen to multiply the votes of your legislator .
To do this , when the legislature is in session , you can access all the bills , the committees they will be heard in and when , on-line . Look for bill headings on issues that are of importance to you ; gun rights , hunting , fishing , trapping , land access , natural resources , taxes , or regulations . Key up that bill , read it , see what it will cost taxpayers , and see who the winners and losers will be .
Once you understand it , key the bar “ contact a legislator ”. You can then select a legislator or committee to contact with the number of the bill , request a yes or no vote , and tell them why . Give them a talking point that they may not be aware of that they can use in arguing for you in committee .
We ’ ll give you a hint here . The best and most efficient time to pass or stop a bill is while it is in committee . Most bills passed by committee are usually passed later by a general vote on the floor .
When in committee , a bill is considered by just the few legislators assigned to that committee with representation from both parties . Take the option to key on the committee .
Yes , you will cover them all ; those that are for and those against your values . The ones “ for you ” are not a problem , but they need to know that you , your family , your friends , organization and perhaps your community are behind them .
In order to multiply the votes of your legislator , the key is to put all the correspondence possible on the desks of the opponents to swing maybe one or two votes to your side in a committee that may be evenly split . Be polite , thank them for their service regardless of their opinion , and give them your points of argument based on facts or your observations . That my friend is your responsibility ! It is quick , it is easy in the age of computers .
No computer ? No excuse ! There are toll free numbers to call . If you need to contact a legislator to support your issue and time is short , you can even have a page deliver your message directly to them when in meetings ! Just do it !
If you don ’ t and are content to sit passively by and cuss at the TV , don ’ t ask us where your rights went . You allowed them to be taken from you !
Your Vote Counts !
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