Chris,
We have city ordinances, state laws, and federal law. The idea of rule of law, is a powerful concept, particularly when it is self-rule, or rules society sets for itself. We find agreement (meaning compromise) on how we should GOVERN OURSELVES, and as a civilized community or nation, we AGREE to abide by those laws.
If someone disagrees with the law, then the solution is to find like minded individuals and work to educate others and CHANGE the law. The solution is NOT to hate lawmakers, or those who enforce these laws.
We GOVERN ourselves in a Democracy or Republic.
If you GOVERN, you ARE the government. From little league referees and school board officials, to city legislators and federal lawmakers, we are ALL part of government, or SHOULD BE.
Population is TOO VAST and growing, to be islands any longer. The world's population is TOO VAST and growing, to be an isolated nation any longer.
WE MUST work together, for the common good of ALL, or we shall destroy ourselves.
My two step-sons are going through the juvenile process, after getting into some trouble. I knew that they would be looked at as a number, because juvenile laws and punishments have become extreme, and there are huge numbers of our youth in the juvenile system. The solution was not to sit at home or just b*tch through the internet. The solution personally, was to MAKE those in authority over them, KNOW WHO THEY ARE, and also to KNOW WHO WE ARE, as parents. They are not numbers now, not after voluminous phone calls and meetings, with those in direct authority over them, and also those who are bosses over the authority figures, all the way up to the Governor's office. We have gotten things moving faster, gotten one of them moved to a better juvenile facility (though we were told this was almost impossible) and made MANY strides in insuring they were not lost in the system and overlooked.
It's called parenting.
I often go to visit them with my wife. When she can't visit, I go to see them alone. ( It's a 4 hour round trip) Their father rarely visits his "favorite" and the other, he has not visited at all.
When I go to these facilities, I am sometimes the ONLY person there for a visit, though there are over a hundred kids in just one facility. I am told by officials there, that some kids there have not had a visit in 6 months, some have not been visited even once, in 9 months.
The problem is not the government Chris.
The problem is WE THE PEOPLE!
We are too lazy to be WE THE PEOPLE. We have tried to revise this to ME THE PERSON!
We are social animals, and psychologists have well documented the ill effects we suffer when we isolate ourselves.
Our lives will deteriorate as our communities deteriorate. And our communities deteriorate in direct proportion to the degree we refuse to participate in them.
btw...
Aside from being there for my wife's sons, when I realized how bad the juvenile justice system is, and how poorly it functions, how excessively it punishes CHILDREN, I decided to try and help OTHERS, as I was helping my own family.
I created a website to begin this work called:
P.A.W.S.
Parents Against Wrongful Sentencing
http://www.pawsgroup.info
Through this organization, I have made high level contacts in the Governor's office, gotten my website listed with heavy hitting and heavily financed juvenile advocacy groups in my state, and have been asked to consider testifying before congress, when the larger groups are bringing new legislation for consideration, to congressional hearings.
I practice what I preach.
Think something is wrong?
Sacrifice your time and talents to change it.
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