Frustrations mount – around that 2020 election, state-level mismanagement of COVID and vaccines, crippling lockdowns, governors who are hypocritical and incompetent, mayors who permit lawlessness, city councils that cut police, and many Americans ask, “What can I do?”
The answer is: More than you think. Even with COVID afoot, conservatives are unifying and becoming stronger. AMAC members, delegates, and leadership constantly press ideas forward, vet legislation, circulate petitions, talk with policy leaders, coordinate with delegates, conduct interviews and analysis on issues from Social Security and veterans’ benefits to national priorities, utilizing social media, writing, reinforcing the possible – in a world of worry.
Let us get concrete. While AMAC is a conservative leader, citizens are rising across the United States to demand integrity in the election process, accountability for federal and state dollars, competence in gubernatorial and mayoral decisions on the economy, jobs, taxes, health, education, crime, police. They are saying “enough is enough,” and demanding action.
Famously, the old philosopher Plato wrote, in The Republic: “Beginning is the most important part of the work.” So, we must treat this, for all our frustration, as the beginning. America needs conservative activism – now and indefinitely.
Examples are illustrative, offering ways to get involved – beyond helping AMAC fight for America’s core values, constitutional liberties, fiscal responsibility, moral compass, and security. A leading example comes out of California, where millions are pushing recall of a rogue Democrat governor, who destroyed the state’s economy, upended constitutional rights, and dines mask-less at $1200 a plate, while his state’s citizens struggle to stay above water.
The petition for removal of California’s Gavin Newsom is gaining steam. What catches the eye is how his heavy-handedness shows up in many Democrat-led states and cities, with few recalls.
California’s recall petition starts: “Unaffordable housing. Record homelessness. Rising crime. Failing schools. Independent contractors thrown out of work. Exploding pension debt. And now, a locked down population while the prisons are emptied. Hold Gavin Newsom accountable. Gavin Newsom must go.”
While that focuses on Newsom, like complaints might be leveled at all 24 Democrat governors, and some Republicans. Add impairment of constitutional and economic rights, loss of businesses, livelihood, schooling, insurance, jobs, church, social interaction, and numbers rise.
Likewise, 13 of Americas’ largest 15 cities are Democrat-led – and a growing disgrace. Suffering huge economic loss, high crime, drug trafficking and abuse, homelessness, sanctuary for illegal aliens, educational failure, and solvency problems from unfunded public pensions to unbalanced bloated budgets. Where are recall petitions?
The answer, in part, is that many states have no recall process – but could create one. Only 19 states have this option, and eight – Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Rhode Island, Washington, and Illinois – require specific grounds for recall.
Main point is that citizens in those states, and virtually every city – whether run by a mayor or city council – have a recall right and could exercise it. Interestingly, states like Illinois established recall only when circumstances overran them. Why not get ahead? Like now.
In places where governors and mayors overstep constitutional rights – corrected by the US Supreme Court, for example on church attendance – citizens could establish referendums that allow recall when specific constitutional rights or economic liberty rights are being violated.
The risk, of course, is recall overuse. But the threat of recall based on violation of constitutional and economic liberty rights might give pause to power-grabbing governors, mayors, and city councils. Absent that, many unleash wild interpretations of executive power, killing small businesses, putting families out of work, restricting speech, worship, assembly, travel, and self-defense, criminalizing public dialogue, cutting police, mandating social behaviors.
So, one form of citizen action is to demand accountability, yes in the electoral process – for example, insisting no more mail-in ballots – but another is restricting executive action. Ultimately, those elected – at any level – need to remember that they work for The People.
Other citizen reactions might include moving state legislatures to investigate electoral abuse, exercise their constitutional right over elector selection, legislatively block open-ended mail-ins, demand faster distribution of small business aid, vaccines, veteran benefits, and ways to get ahead of mounting the health effects – across all demographics – caused by lockdowns.
Small businesses, humble in operation, employ most of America. They have much to teach non-business legislators, mayors, city councils, governors, and members of Congress. Small businesses can go with spreadsheets, perishable inventory logs, patron turnover numbers, indications of very small margins – what they need to survive – and educate. Plato wryly noted: “Those who do not know must learn from those who know.” If ever true, it is now.
Similarly, AMAC has begun working with veteran groups to create synergies, access to information, sound legislation, promoting linkages among key groups, and understanding of key benefits – from Social Security to Veterans’ Administration, while working to preserve them.
In short, the best antidote to a government run amuck, frustratingly unaccountable, is to shine piercing light, educate, act as a citizenry – that is, insist on real openness, accountability, transparency, and the rock-hard truth. We are American citizens. We have that right.
One impulse in the moment is to give up, throw in the towel. Do not abide that impulse. The future of our Republic depends on you and groups like AMAC, pushing real answers, holding bad leaders accountable, fixing what is patently broken – and staying engaged. A last bit from the sage. He said, it is “sacrilegious to stand by while morality is being denigrated … and not try to assist as long as one has breath in one’s body and a voice to protest with.” As we do, we must.