Wake up.. AND Pay Attention!

One good thing has come out of the past year of politics, more and more people are getting involved and educated. But when I read something like “I was unaware that Obama appointed a Commander in Chief.” (Made in all seriousness) I understand why this country is in the mess it is in. People have absolutely no clue how this nation’s political system works. They don’t understand that as far as making laws the President has NO POWER other than to either sign or not sign laws the Congress passes and puts on his desk.

I hear about Executive Orders a lot lately. Again these are not laws. Executive Orders do have the force of law but have much more limited jurisdiction than Congressional statutes. Executive Orders can only govern executive branch activities. For example, mandating federal agencies use cleaner fuels for their vehicles or regulating the status of gays in the military. The president could not raise or cut taxes through executive orders or directly regulate the activities of the American public at large the way Congress can.

The judicial branch is the check and balance for the other two branches and is there to decide whether a law passed by Congress and signed by the President is Constitutional. They are not suppose to make laws with their rules although some judgments have done that.

Ok All that said we as a nation need to focus more on who our Congressman is and how they will vote on the laws presented in Congress. That is where and how we are going to make the real changes in this nation.

For far too long the American public has skipped merrily along the path believing everything it was told or waiting for someone else to take care of what every issues arise. We can’t do that anymore. We have to stop allowing ourselves to be fooled and we have to stop being complacent. If we don't know how our government then we don't know when we are being lied too, conned or abused by it. If you don't know the rules and someone tells you "That's how it suppose to be." how can you debate it? How do you know for sure they are wrong? But if you know the rules and how it is suppose to work you are less like to be lied too or conned.

Lots of people are yelling “wake up” but they are also milling around in circles waiting to be told what to do. And then merrily doing it without even questioning who is telling them or why they are telling them to do it because they are not paying attention and learning for themselves how the government is suppose to work and within what guidelines.

There are lots of groups in the political realm today. Some of them on the surface have a great message but when you peek behind the curtain of them they are not what they represent themselves to be. We have to stop taking everything and everyone at face value. Don’t just research your Congressional candidates but investigate thoroughly the group you are listening to and involving yourself with.

Waking up in not enough.. you have to pay attention also.