BEYOND THE CAMPAIGNS
If we’re paying close attention to the political and economic world around us, we know that our democracy, Our Constitution, and our American Way of Life is under attack. We can expect the Republicans — at the behest of their corporate overlords — to continue attacking American Workers and the American Middle Class.
The 30th District Democrats also recognize that, yes, there are some Democratic elected representatives who vote against the best of interests of their constituents as well. The term “Corporate Campaign Contributions” merely disguises the truth — that corporations routinely bribe members of Congress and the Legislature.
Sadly, there are Democratic elected representatives who also accept these corporate bribes. They are either unwilling or afraid to “Just Say No” when it comes to such “campaign contributions.”
Quite frankly, many members of the 30th LD Democrats are tired of having their good names — and the good name of our organization — besmirched by some of our very own elected representatives.
The 30th LD Democrats are not afraid to recognize this truth, and speak out about this truth. We’re not afraid to take those actions that will bring an end to the influence of corporate bribery in our electoral system.
When was the last time you looked at the voting record of your elected representative? When you vote to re–elect a candidate to office, do you really know what they’ve accomplished or how they voted during their previous term in office?
Some of the votes that our Democratic elected representatives have taken might surprise you. Upon looking at some of these votes, you might find yourself asking “Is that person really a Democrat?” You might also start asking yourself “What can I do to hold my elected representative accountable?”
In time, we will be adding the voting records of our elected representatives to this website. This will make it easier for you to determine whether or not your elected representatives are doing the job you sent them to Congress and the Legislature to accomplish. (For those who enjoy following Congressional and Legislative Voting records, here’s an opportunity to contribute to the good of the whole by contributing your research skills.)
Monitoring the activities of our elected representatives is an important part of holding them accountable to the will of the majority. Democracy, after all, is not a spectator sport — democracy requires the active participation of ALL affected citizens.
“All affected citizens” includes anyone who happens to be breathing at the moment.
The 30th District Democrats strongly believe that a vibrant, robust, bottom–up democracy is the best way to protect our Constitution, and restore our past economic vitality. We believe that a vibrant, robust democracy requires an informed and active electorate.
The 30th District Democrats firmly believe that the restoration of our democracy and the defense of Our Constitutional Rights requires certain things of our organization. We recognize that, as an organization, we must seek out and include as many people as possible in the discussion of how best to preserve and build the democracy which our forefathers fought a revolution to create.
We simply can not allow that which our forefathers created — Our Constitution — to be taken away from us.
RESTORING THE AMERICAN DREAM — TAKING BACK THE AMERICAN STORY
Over the past 30–years, the far–right’s propaganda machine has done an incredible job at redefining our common history, and the American Dream. The ideal of “promot[ing] the general Welfare” (as stated in Our Constitution) has been under heavy assault by this very effective propaganda machine.
It is now time for us to stand up, take back Our Constitution, and take back our definition of the American Dream.
While the 30th LD Democrats will always continue with its traditional electoral work. We will also start moving beyond the traditional work of the Party. We are firmly committed to defending Our Constitution and restoring the American Dream. We believe that, as Democrats, we can’t keep doing the same things we’ve always done, and expect different results. It’s time for us to do something different.
As Albert Einstien once observed: “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”
The 30th District Democrats need your voice in this discussion, and your participation to make it happen. The job is too big for a single, small organization. At the same time, the scope of what needs to be accomplished requires that those most affected also speak their hearts and minds.
As we can tell from the events of the past year, we can’t wait for change to be delivered from the top–down. We have to create that change from the bottom–up.
It is the intention of the 30th LD Democrats to engage in precisely those activities which will build a strong, vibrant, bottom–up Democracy — one that places the good of the community above the greed of the top one–tenth of one–percent. You are more than encouraged to join with us.
HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE BEYOND THE ELECTION CYCLES
One of the problems with the prevailing method of election campaigns is that winning the campaign has become the goal. Election campaigns should actually be viewed as strategic battles which serve higher goals. With this perspective, we can break through the election cycle mentality and actually build a representative democracy that takes our nation to the next level of freedom with actual justice for all.
The present global crisis indicates that if we don’t take the next step in our evolution as human beings, we will certaintly perish from this earth. The consequences for not taking action are dire.
There’s a lot of work to do, and even those who can do just a little to help out will be greatly appreciated. Our current and complete calendar of activities will often give you many places to help out and become involved. The more people and voices involved, the greater our capacity to create fundamental, bottom–up change will be become.
George Orwell once wrote: “For the ordinary man is passive. Within a narrow circle...he feels himself master of his fate, but against major events he is as helpless as against the elements. So far from endeavoring to influence the future, he simply lies down and lets things happen to him.”
If you’ve had enough of letting things happen to you, and you’re ready to make things happen, might we suggest a few simple steps for you to become involved in defending Our Constitution and restoring our democracy:
(1) Attend a meeting of the 30th LD Democrats — come on out and get to know us.
2) Attend an event of the 30th LD Democrats.
Sometimes it’s more fun to get to know us either through a social event, or through participating in one of our other activities
3) Be a part of planning and effectuating one of our events.
If major planning activities aren’t listed on our calendar, contact the appropriate committee chairperson. Likewise, if you notice things that we should be doing for the good of the community, get involved, talk about it, and make it happen. Together, we can develop the mutual capacity to accomplish great things.
4) Become a member of 30th LD Democrats.
Your membership gives you a vote in all matters coming before the 30th LD Democrats as defined in the bylaws of our organization, while your dues ensures the funding required to build an organization and elect representatives who will be accountable to the will of the people.
Click Here To Download Our Membership Form
5) Become a Precinct Committee Officer, or join your precinct team.
If we are to fundamentally restore our democracy, we must do so at the most fundamental levels of society. This most fundamental level of society is within our neighborhoods and communities. The precincts are the fundamental level of electoral democracy.
The 30th LD Democrats believe that it’s not just about us and what we think — it’s about what the community thinks and how we can best work together to achieve our common goals and promote the common good. This requires that we actively pursue your participation in the discussion and the activities of the organization.
At the same time, the activities of the 30th LD Democrats requires that the organization contribute to the good of the community to whatever capacity is capable of achieving. The greater the participation, the greater the capacity.
If you want to get involved with the 30th LD Democrats before our next meeting, then drop us a note and let us know what you’d like to do.
If you think that there are issues that the 30th LD Democrats should be addressing, then drop us a note and tell us about it. After that, get involved and make it happen.
We strongly seek people who are ready to take back our Great Nation and protect Our Constitution in a way that no one else is yet doing. Even if you can only contribute a small amount of time to our community and nation, it all adds up when we work together, adding our voices and efforts to the creation of solutions.
As Benjamin Franklin once said, “If we don’t hang together, we’ll surely hang separately.”
It’s time, friends, to create the change we want to see in our nation. We can no longer wait for change to be delivered from the top–down. We can only create that change from the bottom–up.
That is, after all, how a democracy is meant to function.
“Democracy is an objective. Democratization is a process. Democratization serves the cause of peace because it offers the possibility of justice and of progressive change without force.”
— Boutros Boutros-Ghali