24. 
DEMOCRACY

     HERE, IN THE USA, WE HAVE POTENTIALLY THE BEST SYSTEM OF
GOVERNMENT ON EARTH. THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE
WORLDS, BUT IT IS THE ONE WE LIVE IN.  THERE ARE MANY THINGS WE CAN
DO TO IMPROVE OUR GOVERNMENT.  I DO NOT KNOW IF MY IDEAS ARE THE
BEST ONES, BUT THEY ARE BETTER THAN THE ONES WE SEEM TO BE USING
NOW.  
     RIGHT NOW, WE CAN ELIMINATE THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, REPLACING
IT WITH DIRECT ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT.  IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WE CAN
CHANGE OUR ELECTION PROCESS TO AN ELECTRONIC SYSTEM, VOTING WITH
COMPUTERS.  WE COULD ALL LOG ON WITH OUR ID'S AND PASSWORDS FOR
EVERYDAY INFORMATION, AND USE ADDITIONAL SECURITY MEASURES SUCH
AS SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS, PIN NUMBERS, OR IN THE FUTURE RETINAL
PATTERNS FOR ABSOLUTE IDENTIFICATION OF AN INDIVIDUAL.  MAYBE WE
COULD EVENTUALLY MODIFY OUR HOUSE AND SENATE VOTING PROCEDURES
TO ALLOW DIRECT VOTING IN CERTAIN CASES BY THE BODY POLITIC.  OUR
CONGRESS PERSONS COULD PROPOSE AND/OR MODIFY LEGISLATION AND
WHEN THEY THINK IT'S RIGHT, WE COULD VOTE TO APPROVE IT OR NOT.
     WE NEED TO CONSTITUTIONALLY LIMIT TERMS FOR ALL POLITICIANS. 
WE NEED TO MAKE SALARIES OF POLITICIANS REASONABLE, SO THAT THEY
WON'T RUN FOR THE MONEY OR THE BENEFITS, SUCH AS THE
CONGRESSIONAL RETIREMENT PROGRAM.  NO POLITICIAN SHOULD BE PAID
MORE THAN THE STATISTICAL NORM FOR HIS CONSTITUENCY.  IF THEY ARE
FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT, THEY SHOULD WORK FOR FREE, AS A GIFT TO
THEIR COUNTRY.  MEANWHILE, EVERY POLITICIAN SHOULD PUT HIS BUSINESS
HOLDING IN SOME KIND OF BLIND TRUST SO THERE CAN BE NO CONFLICT OF
INTEREST.
     LAWYERS SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO RUN FOR ANY ELECTED
BODY OR POSITION THAT MAKES LAWS, DUE TO THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
OUR LAWS MUST BE WRITTEN SO THAT ANY ADULT CAN READ THEM, LETS
SAY 12TH GRADE READING LEVEL.  OUR LEGAL SYSTEM MUST BE CHANGED
SO AS NOT TO ALLOW PRESS RELEASES OF MATERIAL RELEVANT TO THE
PROSECUTION OR THE DEFENSE OF THE DEFENDANT.  THIS KIND OF
INFORMATION ABOUT THE CASE SHOULD NOT BE PUBLISHED UNTIL AFTER
THE TRIAL IS OVER (OBSERVE THE O.J. MESS),  SO AS TO ALLOW THE JURY
SYSTEM TO WORK AS DESIGNED (UNBIASED) AND PROTECT THE VICTIM AND
THE ACCUSED AND ALLOW A FAIR TRIAL.  THIS IS NOT CENSORSHIP OF THE
PRESS.  THIS IS REASONABLE FOR THE PROTECTION OF OUR OTHER RIGHTS.
(BESIDES WHO CARES WHEN THE PRESS MAKES THEIR BIG BUCKS, BEFORE
THE TRIAL OR AFTER IT IS OVER.)
     THE COST OF RUNNING A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN IS RIDICULOUS
NOWADAYS.  WE MUST LIMIT SPENDING AND HOW LONG A CAMPAIGN CAN
LAST.  CAMPAIGNS SHOULD NOT START SOONER THAN 90 DAYS BEFORE
ELECTION DAY.  NO MORE THAN THE AVERAGE ANNUAL EARNINGS OF THE
CONSTITUENTS CAN BE SPENT AND IT MUST BE PAID FOR BY ORDINARY
PEOPLES CONTRIBUTIONS, NOT SPECIAL INTEREST DONATIONS (THEY BUY
THE POLITICIANS WHO BECOME THE PROPERTY OF THE BIG PAC'S WHO PAID
FOR THE CAMPAIGNS AND NOT THE SERVANTS OF THE PEOPLE WHO
ELECTED THEM.)
     I HAVE BEEN VOTING SINCE 1976 AND HAVE ONLY VOTED FOR ONE
PERSON I LIKED.  EVERY OTHER TIME I HAVE VOTED FOR SOMEBODY BECAUSE
I DISLIKED THEIR OPPONENTS MORE.  IMAGINE VOTING FOR THE LESSER OF
TWO EVILS TO RUN OUR WONDERFUL COUNTRY, AND NOT FOR SOMEONE
YOU THOUGHT WOULD OR COULD ACTUALLY HELP US.  WHAT A SHAME! THIS
IS A HORRIBLE STATEMENT ABOUT THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN.  NO WONDER
PEOPLE ARE DISINTERESTED IN VOTING, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE NOTHING
THEY CAN VOTE FOR!
     POLITICIANS MUST BECOME STATESMEN AGAIN.  THEY SHOULD RUN
FOR OFFICE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN THE
LIVES OF THEIR FELLOW COUNTRY MEN AND NOT JUST A POSITIVE
DIFFERENCE IN THEIR OWN POCKET BOOKS, OR THE POCKET BOOKS OF THE
PEOPLE WHO ELECTED THEM, OR THE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS WHO PAID
FOR THEIR ELECTION.  POLITICIANS MUST SERVE OUT OF A SENSE OF
RESPONSIBILITY, OR GOODWILL, OR CITIZENSHIP, TO GIVE BACK TO THIS
COUNTRY AND ITS PEOPLE.  THAT IS GOD'S WILL (SERVICE FOR THE RIGHT
REASON), VOTING FOR A PIECE OF LEGISLATION OR LAW, BECAUSE IT IS BEST
FOR ALL OF US: NOT OUT OF POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY OR OUT OF A
SELF-CENTERED NEED FOR POWER, OR MONEY, OR A LUST FOR CONTROL
OVER PEOPLE (SERVICE FOR THE WRONG REASON).  THOMAS JEFFERSON
ALMOST BANKRUPTED HIMSELF SERVING THIS COUNTRY.  SOCRATES DIED
FOR SERVING HIS PEOPLE.  SOLDERS HAVE DIED SERVING THEIR COUNTRIES
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.  VERY FEW POLITICIANS HAVE EVER EVEN
SERVED THEIR COUNTRY, WHILE IN OFFICE THEY USUALLY JUST SERVE
THEMSELVES.
     MY IDEAS ARE NOT PERFECTED BUT THEY ARE IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION, AS APPOSED TO THE DIRECTION WE ARE GOING IN NOW.  THIS IS
NOT UTOPIA, BUT IT CAN BE IMPROVED.  I DO NOT BELIEVE WE HUMANS WILL
EVER EXPERIENCE AN UTOPIAN SOCIETY HERE ON EARTH, BUT IN HEAVEN,
WHO KNOWS?