Quite often we get carried away telling you  about this newest thing, or  that newest thing which could or could not elicit your outrage minute of the moment.  Since the news feed coming into us in non-stop, there is no shortage of things that will shock or make you feel abused.

I want to turn that on its ear in this post, and talk about the broader perspective, particularly in regards to how it deals with education.

There is an old saying often attributed to Roosevelt, and Delaware’s own Paul Baumbach echoed it very well in a  comment back when SB51 was shoved through the House.  Paul said he tried, but there was no outrage over this bill until too late; people have to react sooner.  In doing so, he mirrored Roosevelt’s statement: that if you want a certain direction to be taken, force them (those in power) to take it!

Here is how it gets done.  Pick an issue.  Gun Control, Gay Marriage, Reasonable Taxes,  Global Warming, War in Iraq, the 99%, Common Core, Discrimination, Poverty, Street Violence, Help Stray Kitty Cats,

Then create a “buzz”.  Letters to the editor;  Letters to Politicians;  door-door neighborhood campaigns; visit schools, visit pastors; visit Union Halls; visit bars; visit honky-tonks; attend Firemen’s fund-raisers,  Always mention that the change you seek is needed.

Encourage others who you convert, to do likewise.  Spread the news.  Let people know the issues, the facts, and the consequences.

Force a vote.  In a representative democracy, everyone can talk out of both sides of their mouths.  It is the usual stall-tactic for keeping things as the status quo. Politicians who are good at it (Mike Castle was the best) can make both opposing sides believe he has each of their interests at heart.   But….. as soon as that vote is forced… he has alienated the one half, all the while appeasing the other half.  So the vote is the measuring device necessary to determine if impact is making a difference. (Here is an example: one nice factor of the repeated “for show” House votes to repeal Obamacare, is that over time one can see movement towards implementing Obamacare, not removing it.  If the opponents were growing instead of shrinking, we should be worried…  But they’re not).

Get those supporters of your position, to engage their politicians.  Bring up the topic; thank or castigate them for their vote.   Make these politicians aware of how much this topic means to a lot of citizenry.   Those in politics are essentially just like everyone else.  They too,… don’t have enough time.  They have to choose where they spend every minute, because there is just so much out there, they can’t do it all.  Your engaging them, is taking those minutes away from something else;  you are by the very process, making your cause important to them.  Even if they are on the opposing team, they, by listening to you, are apprising the numbers of support for the cause you proclaim…

Finally.  Exercise your vote. Your vote is the final arbiter.  If a politician does not believe you, and loses his political bout because of it,, the new politician will be much more receptive.  Often politics gets muddled and distorted over charges of character.  In a representative government, that is really less important than having someone who supports policies that help you.  If you are a minority;  don’t give up.  Things can swing back your way.

But if you don’t do all these things, you are  really the biggest part of the problem.  Remember, while you were doing nothing,  the other side was doing all of the above. And if things are royally screwed up, it is because no one made any adjustments when the wrong people attained positions of power.  The reason they are there in the first place, is because you weren’t paying attention, or too lazy to act, or just didn’t care.

It all comes down to you.  You are the problem; you didn’t do everything you could have done!

Which means:  you are also then:  the solution.