GOVERNMENT OF, FOR, AND BY THE PEOPLE
by Don Barletta
1/27/05, Thursday, 11am ET:
I just completed a 10 minute phone call with Senator Rick Santorum's office. I phoned to ask if they keep a tally of the amount of calls they receive on any particular issue, and I was specifically interested in any constituent input his office had received regarding the vote to confirm the nomination of Condi Rice. She told me that they did have that information, but it could not be released to me, as it was for their internal use only. After she put me on hold three times when she would not answer my simple repeated question, my call was transferred to a Santorum staffer named Josh.
First Josh told me that yes, they do keep a tally. Then Josh told me that they keep a tally, but they only do so after the fact, after the vote. Then Josh told me that they have a good idea as to how much constituent input they receive, and which way the constituent input is leaning, either for or against. But then Josh told me that they discount a lot of the constituent input, if they believe that it was generated by any activism organization of any type. Then Josh told me that while the Senator does ask him (Josh) which way the will of the people is leaning, he told me that that does not determine the Senator's vote. He told me that the Senator votes "his" conscience, "his" opinion, and "his" will, and not the will of the people.
So I again asked him if he would tell me if he knew whether the will of the people was in favor of, or against, voting for the confirmation of Condi Rice. He told me that the constituent input that the Senator's office received; that the people were strongly in favor of voting against her confirmation.
Of course Senator Santorum voted in favor of her confirmation.
So I switched the topic slightly, and asked Josh for his opinion of government of, for, and by the people. I told him that I thought that the Senator was supposed to represent the will of the people. I asked him what quantity of input or preponderance of demand on one side of an issue would encourage the Senator to vote accordingly. I asked "what if the Senator had received one million requests, and that 90% of them were against her confirmation?"
Josh told me that while that would be significant, that the Senator would still vote his own conscience. I again asked about the part of representation being "of, for, and by the people." Josh told me that if I were to ask the Senator that personally, that the Senator would tell me that the U.S. is not a democracy, but rather a Republic, and while the will of the people might be of consideration, it is subordinate to the will of the Senator. Then he told me that if I don't like that, too bad, and that my only option is at the voting booth in the next election.
Having written letters, sending emails, and telephoning my and other Senators, my Congressman, the President, and the Vice President - and those contacts totaling well over 1,000 in just the last 8 months alone - I can tell you that Senator Santorum is endemic of a much larger problem.
And that is, with VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS, no one in government is listening to the people. No one. They are just doing what they want. And if you don't know by now that our government is taking America down the toilet, then you are either a victim of government psyops brainwashing, media collusion, or you are simply disinterested or uninformed.
If you are aware of what our government is up to, and you are doing nothing, then get up off your ass, and do something. It doesn't take much time, very little effort, and certainly no cost to email or toll-free phone a politician. If you know better, and are doing nothing, it is inexcusable.
It is time for all of us to rise up, start screaming, and bombard the government and media with our demands. Will that achieve anything? I don't know. But I hope so. So excuse me while I go write yet another letter, and make another phone call.
C2005 -- Don Barletta 1/27/05
Personal Note: Gold9472... I have my own experience with Sen. Santorum that I will be posting in this thread later tonight. Take my word for it... he is a SCUMBAG.