Ever wonder why or how we got to the point where elected officials ram legislation down the throats of a constituency who repeatedly tells them they “DON’T WANT IT”? Here is a classic example of why you are fighting so hard to regain control of an out-of-control government.
First of all, perhaps legislation gets reintroduced because there are ever vigilant, special interest groups who know that eventually, if they are patient enough, they are going to wear down the opposition and slip bits and pieces of their agenda through the legislature and slowly tighten the noose around your liberties, whether it be the freedom to choose your own health care, control your own thermostat or home school your children. And having a sterling reputation with the legislature doesn’t mean a hill of beans when big money, special interest groups are wheeling and dealing with representatives during legislative sessions. Politicians, and rightly so, care about getting re-elected. They are smart enough to figure out that if they alienate the voting populace by ignoring their wishes they will lose their power and positions.
Applaud CHEF for monitoring bills and communicating with the home school community the status of legislation that affects homeschooling freedom, but where does it make sense to direct the followers to stick their heads in the sand and let someone else handle it? That kind of thinking brought us progressive health care legislation.
Second, while we are handing out kudos to the home school leadership, let’s include David Klarich. Klarich is a lot of things, but he is not a “registered lobbyist for CHEF“. He is a home school dad who has volunteered his energy, over the years, to monitor legislation, and offer his support and advice to other homeschoolers on various matters. Due to his selfless contributions homeschoolers have certainly enjoyed the benefit of being informed and empowered to speak out for their liberties. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that since he has served in the legislature and is, himself, an attorney, he probably has a special appreciation for the value of a representative government. Most homeschoolers I know, spend a lot of time teaching their children the value of a representative government and how it must be cherished and cared for by the electorate by never allowing leadership to get too comfortable making decisions, on their behalf, without their input.
As to the idea that the voting populace might display bad manners, look foolish, or annoying by contacting their elected leadership with their concerns, I just have to say I am relatively sure that is not the way the founders anticipated the way a representative government would work, be perceived by the electorate or elected leadership. People who don’t expect to have a directing voice in their government live in other countries, not America, and we are not “festering boils” because we tell our elected leaders how we want to be represented.
On this we can agree; it is certain that we will be facing similar or the same legislation again and again, but not because it is an anticipated code of behavior played out in the legislative process, but because we have not been strong in our convictions to express our desires to the representative leadership. We have not been tough enough or strong enough in our passions to protect our freedoms. It’s time to take our heads out of the sand and stop allowing others to tell us how to think about our freedoms. The only way to stop these ambiguous and repetitive pieces of legislation, every year, is to take a stand and speak your mind to those you sent to the Capitol to speak for you.
CV –
I agree with you. Everyone has a right, if not a responsibility, to make their wishes known to their elected representatives. People should never be afraid to voice their concerns. I know a couple of legislators and they truly welcome the input of their constituents, even those whose opinions differ from their own. One once told me that they actually prefer to hear directly from the people, rather than just one or two lobbyist or representatives of a group, because it is a great way to affirm that they are truly espousing the views of the group they purport to represent. It is for this reason that most advocacy groups prefer that as many members as possible contact their legislators and appear at hearings.
This is the same elitist mentality we see so often in Washington: We know what is best for you better than you do. I consider myself the ultimate expert on me, my needs, and my rights.