There comes a time when one needs to decide if the marginal benefits still are greater than the marginal costs. The benefits of writing to congressional representatives, voting, or even reading the press can seem to educators and talk-show hosts as, duh!, beneficial. While the costs: time, frustrations, and hand wringing are manageable. When one writes a pol and receives the ubiquitous form letter in return (Thank you for contacting me with your concerns...........), the angst is inevitable.
A well-formed, concise, and thoughtful comment, explanation, or grievance to leaders should in a perfect world, at least require a personal response. Understood that they may receive 100s, and with the morons in charge these days, 1000s of letters and e-mails and personal contact is difficult to manage; nonetheless, impersonal legislating is unspeakable.
When town hall meetings are called and many voters show, does not call for armed stormtroopers and labels of Mafia-inspired lobbyists. Yes people are angry. Washington has ignored the populace for so long, it doesn't quite understand that the citizens are sovereign. We, the People...
We, voters and non-voters (TAXPAYERS!) placed them there, pay their salaries, personal jets and Senator Ensign's rendezvous. We non-lobbying citizens have little say in today's world, especially when Obama and gang tend to "flag" critics and lunatics exercising 1st Amendment rights of speech, grievance, petition, etc...
Yet, what little say we have should be used, front the rooftops, blogs, letters to editors. I still have some hope that future generations may see the errors of our ways and revert to the Constitution, the rule of law, and freedom in the marketplace as not just academic terms (only in a few good classrooms!), but as the only means of civilized human existence.
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