Learning the Cost of Eliminating Civics Classes in Our Schools

The reason that Republicans tried, with too much success, to eliminate Civics from school curricula was evident last night.

I went to the Wilco Young Democrats meeting Thursday night to talk to them.  I told them that their voice and vote were important. You know this, because Republicans are trying hard to block that vote and voice.

The DMV knows when you are of voting age, and they have your address; can send you a ballot automatically for every election...  It's called motor voter, and you don't have it because Republicans are terrified of you specifically, and large voter turnout in general.

They are not as scared of someone my age, because many of us, who are older, are (were) dependable Republican voters.  They should be more scared of older folks, because when we turn out in larger numbers we aren't the dependable, Republican voters they believe we are.

As I sat across the table, conversing with the younger folks, they said, "we don't feel like we are being heard."  They asked their group's leader and she told them how to get their perspective registered with their elected officials, and still... 

I mentioned that as their candidate I was seeking their perspective, but (as I found out) there's 142,000 (not the 92,000 that I had guessed) voters/constituents in every Texas House district. So, even though I now have some of their ideas, unless they vote in sufficient numbers, their representative will remain the Republican incumbent.

Even if I were to get elected there would still be the perspective of as many of the 142,000 constituents to consider.  Their particular ideas might not rise to the top, and it might still appear that they were not heard; listened to...  The notion that it was their responsibility to make sure their ideas had been properly received seemed completely lost on them. 

The young folks were told that in the 1960s progress on voting and civil rights had been achieved...  In the 1970s progress was made in women's health care, specifically maternal care.  We, their parents and grandparents, had gotten sassy, fat and self-satisfied and most of that progress has been lost (three steps forward, two steps back).

We, older generations, must work with our offspring to regain the progress that was lost if we all want to move ahead.

Frankly, the evening was kinda disappointing.

In the course of human history Democracy has been very rare.

Democracy doesn't happen on it's own. 

Democracy is not self-sustaining. 

The effort to establish Democracy has always been difficult. 

Sustained Democracy has been short term and, to date, long term success has escaped every democratic effort.

The time of challenge remains upon us, and the odds of success in continuing our Democracy are, historically, against us.

“...A republic, if you can keep it,” said Ben Franklin in 1787.

Our fate is in our hands.

How Poor and Middle Class Wage Earners Subsidize the Wealthy 1%

You pay sales taxes on every eligible purchase; most, every day, purchases are taxed.  The less you earn the higher the percentage of your income is consumed by sales taxes.

You own, or are purchasing, a home (condo, house, adu, etc...) it's not cash unless you sell it, but you pay property taxes on it, every year.

If you own, or are buying, a car (truck, etc...) it's not cash unless you sell it, but you pay taxes on it every year.

If you own stock, equity, in any company...  it's not cash unless you sell it; there are no taxes on that stock till you sell it.

None!

Yet, if you borrow money, up to the entire market value of that stock, there's still no taxes; even as you're cashing in!  

This is how wealthy people accumulate and spend enormous amounts of money with out ever having to pay taxes.  

This, and thousands more pages of tax law, is how poor and middle class people subsidize the rich here in the United States of America.

These are the 1% that own the Republican criminal syndicate (RCS).  Unlike Musk, they hide behind the curtain and pull the strings that control the RCS; control the grifting, pathological liar that was 45, and is now, the 47th president of these United States of America.

45 should have been impeached, convicted and banned from holding any public office, ever again.  See: Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.  The self-centered, cowards of the RCS, that should have done this, are terrified of being swept out of office by primary opponents, funded by the money of the wealthy oligarchs hiding behind the curtains; puppet masters of the RCS.

If you voted for these two administrations (45 & 47) then you are the gullible fools that the 1% and the RCS depend upon; conned gratulations!