Dear Mr Congressman

After watching a recommended TED talk by Lawrence "Lester" Lessig yesterday, the gist of which was money’s influence in politics, I was amazed at the degree to which we have sunk. Even the most apolitical among us knows that ‘the shotgun sings the song’, is simply the opening number of the dark opera of American politics and that ‘follow the money’ is the encore. Lessig lays all this out in a particularly poignant aria. Normally I push back from lectures of this theme with disgust and disdain, but there was something else Mr Lessig pointed out that added another element to my wretched opinion of the DC swamp we currently tolerate. He said that as hopeless as it can sometimes feel, how outnumbered we the people are, how staked the deck, we are still, barely, still in charge. And as I see this to be our clinging to the thread of democracy, we cling on refusing to let go of the basics of our constitution and the rule of law. We still vote. Please allow me to issue the fair warning at this time that I believe we are in a very real constitutional crisis. If you need any further evidence of this corrupt administrations ‘above the law’ stance, please turn on your TV and you’ll quickly get earfuls and eyefuls (sandwiched between advertisements for drugs to calm you, cars to move you and insurance to cover you should you mix the two.) This is almost too much to take. It is a daily dosing of horror at which even Vincent Price would cringe. We are being led to the gallows as we giggle a cat videos on YouTube and wonder who is telling is the truth, MSNBC or Faux. 

America is under attack. Allow me to offer an example by asking a rhetorical question. Exactly what part of ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL is not self-evident to republicans proudly calling Dixie home? And what group is above the law stating that our bodies are subject to rules and regulations? Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness have never been more in danger of regulation, restriction and repression. 

With these facts in mind I set out to compile a list of the elements and issues I consider worth reviewing for my voting process. That simple idea of course led to another and finally I had the grand plan of using the list as an outline which which to author and send to my congressman. THAT, as both Lessig and Thomas Jefferson would surely agree, is democracy in action. And I like to act. I like to be pro-active, to act before the actual act you might say. 

So here is the preliminary list of issues and my assessment of each. Regardless of your personality, seeing the glass as half full or half empty, what we really need right now are problem solvers, thinkers who don’t care about the label, but the content. Drink the water, regardless of what you call it it is the same amount. 

• ISSUE                    GRADE
• Environment           F
• Economy                F (Unless you are a millionaire) 
• Infrastructure          F
• Education               F
• Trade                      F
• Defense                  F (Unless you manufacture arms)
• Social Issues          F (Unless you own slaves)
• Women’s Issues     F (Unless you are a white male in Alabama)
• Gay Issues             F
• Crime                     F (Unless you carry a NRA card)
• Senior Issues         F
• Immigration           F (Unless you own a prison)
• Money in Politics   F (Unless you are a lobbyist)
• Hypocrisy              A
• Corruption             A
• Graft                      A
• Nepotism               A
• Obstruction           A

Seems self-evident to me.