BY SHARON MARTIN
It isn’t Ebola. It’s not terrorism. Apathy and ignorance are the greatest threats to this country, followed closely by greed and a lust for power.
People choose not to vote. Or they let television ads and catch phrases choose their positions. And there is always a billionaire class who knows whom to buy and what catch phrases to throw out to stir the masses.
Corporations have bought our prisons and the politicians necessary to keep them full. They’ve bought the election process. Dark money and a corrupt political process drive the conversation.
We are led to believe that a marriage contract between two men or two women will destroy society. We’ve been hoodwinked into thinking that universal healthcare will make us sick and bankrupt, even though it is lack of coverage that will do it.
There are wonderful things going on in this country, as well. Despite budget cuts, children are educated. Despite attempts to privatize Social Security, fewer elderly people live in poverty. Entrepreneurs are working on solutions and good people are helping those who can’t help themselves. But this isn’t what you see on the news, a media that is controlled by fewer and fewer mega corporations.
It’s time for the people to realize that it is up to us to fix what is wrong. Turn off the television. Read and comprehend the lines you are being fed. And tell big money, “No.”
Corporations are not people, and we, the people, are the government.
We all have a responsibility to look beyond the catch phrases and the smokescreens to do the right thing. What really matters to you? Do you believe in social justice? Do you think that there is room for everyone at the table? Do you believe that quality education and access to healthcare are our best chance for equal opportunity? Do you believe that no one should be punished for their skin color or their choice of religion but rather by their actions? Do you believe that greed is a sin?
If these things matter to you, educate yourself on the issues and get out the vote. Stand in a picket line to say no to injustice. Demand a fix for the amount of money in politics, money that buys our politicians and taints our system of government. Demand, and put your vote and your own hard-earned money behind the demands.
This is our country. Act like it.
– Sharon Martin lives in Oilton, OK and is a regular contributor to The Oklahoma Observer
