How It Will Get Done

Many Citizens in our state fear that the Convention of States will not succeed because our state's politicians are just as corrupt and indifferent to the voice of the people as our federal politicians. How can a Convention of States succeed in this kind of environment?

The one word all corrupt politicians fear accountability !

By identifying and holding to task the elected officials we put into office, they eventually learn that the people are in charge, not them. As this is realized, the accountability factor takes on a whole new meaning for the politician who would get caught with his/her fingers in the till (so to speak).

Now what are the requirements to make the term accountability actionable?

The first thing is ORGANIZATION, if a single person attempts to confront a politician who may be corrupt, exactly what effect do you think that is going to have. But. If a group were to confront that same individual do you think the results would be different, and if the group were to prove their point, do you think a process to remove that corrupt politician could be started and completed? So the first requirement is organization, and a large, expressive, cohesive organization scares the hell out of those who would be king.

The next facet needed is to EDUCATE the general public as to the need for their participation in the process of governance, the more educated the general public is to the situation, the more effective is their inquiries as to the operations and functions of the organization. That means that each member of the organization is responsible to the overall organization to do what they can to help other see the importance of the purpose and function of the organization. Organizations like the John Birch Society have been around a long time, and have as a result of that longevity developed a game plan for actionable events like rallies, promotions, and other tools that are used in influencing the public and politicians to their point of view. So it is incumbent on newer organizations to do everything they can to educate the general public to their point of view and be able to back it up wit factual presentations, and be able to answer questions that to them may seem like no-brainer, but could be the thing needed to change outsiders to insiders.

The final part in this area is perhaps the most needful, yet the hardest to cultivate and that is ENGAGEMENT. This is the area where the rubber meets the road, where the observer becomes the participant. This is what most less than honest politicians fear the most, why?

Because this is where the politician become accountable, his/her actions, budgets, claims, results, all are put under the microscope and examined, when they fail to meet the requirements of the people, they are eligible to be replaced, more often than not in a very public and unforgiving way, take for example Richard Nixon, or Anthony Wiener. The wrath of the organized Citizens group can be a very daunting thing for a politician. Remember this, no citizen will become engaged with our process or function unless they understand it, and more importantly, see how they can be useful. They need to be able to own part of the process, then they are worthwhile and therefore can do something worthwhile.

When Citizens unite under a common banner, they are a force to be reckoned with, not something to be placated and sent home. We are the one's in charge and we need to recognize that, so do the politicians.

THINK ABOUT IT!