By George Wilson, contributing columnist
STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. | In my view, we the people are frustrated, discouraged and worn out with all three branches of the United States government. These failures have led to attacks on our judicial system and the rule of law by unsavory, power hungry and disgusting people.
But the support of these demagogues and authoritarians is not the answer. Moreover, and ironically, this may be the major reason for the convicted felon’s popularity as he runs for president. The real solutions are that we need true major reforms to get this nation back on the path of forming a more perfect union.
Another big issue is the media’s horserace election coverage and the obsession with reporting the latest outrageous statements by members of Congress and other politicians. Instead, we need stories that aim at providing a deeper level of political meaning and context. So far Public Broadcasting System (PBS) is the only media outlet that attempts to do this consistently.
What should we do as a nation?
First, we should pass a law that establishes a federally controlled election fund then outlaws all campaign donations of every kind from individuals, pac’s, corporations, special interest groups, and lobbyists. Any presidential candidate who qualifies to be on the ballot would receive an equal amount of money from the federal election fund to mount their campaign. Unless we take money out of politics, those who win elections will continue to be owned by those who financed them.
Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has already ruled that political campaign donations are protected freedom of speech, and those individuals, corporations and labor unions can express themselves during elections by spending enormously on candidates or campaigns.
The current SCOTUS rulings protect the rulers from the ruled. In reality, money is not speech, nor corporations’ people. Corporations don’t come home in body bags. So, it will be difficult to simply declaring election campaign donations and spending by 501(C) groups illegal. That may mean a constitutional change may be in order.
Second, reform is to start with mandatory federal guidelines on how state’s create voting districts. This is to limit how aggressively states can gerrymander districts to make elections less competitive. This will give us more moderate candidates. To pass legal muster, there should remain some ability for states to manage redistricting.
Third: we need to pass a federal law requiring states to require voter referendums under basic guidelines. Currently, states vary in the way they allow registration, causing disadvantages for many voters.
When state legislators go against the will of a majority of voters, those voters should have the right to override the legislature on individual issues through some fair set of guidelines. We have seen examples of conservative states like Kansas overturning the attack on women’s rights.
Finally, something must be done to improve the civic knowledge of our population. This can only be done through the educational system and perhaps with help from the media. The Annenberg public policy center reports that “many U.S. adults don’t know the rights protected under the First Amendment”, and the only one with wide recognition is freedom of speech, which 77 percent knew.
The other rights were known by under half of respondents: freedom of religion was known by 40 percent and freedom of the press by 28 percent. While 66 percent in our survey could name all three branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial), 17 percent could not name any.”
Any hope of change requires all starts with you voting for candidates and parties that push and foster these ideas.
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