Is there anyone of us who doesn’t see that Congress has become unresponsive, either by unfortunate happenstance or by strategic design? Regardless of how or why it happened, the people who operate Congress have failed the American people by using the red or blue cloaks we sewed for them to declare their side the only way forward and the other side evil. An on-going concerted effort to divide the country by pitting Americans against Americans in order to maintain control and enrich themselves and a consortium of donors. Enough of us believe that it’s only us versus them and that the solution is a stronger majority for our side to set things right. Not only do we tolerate it, we buy into the misguided concept that party labels transcend American values.
I’m here to tell you in the most grammatically incorrect way possible,
Y’all, it just ain’t so…
American values are the foundation of America. We each hold our heads high and call ourselves Americans because we believe in the values that we’re so eloquently stated in the Declaration of Independence and after fifteen years of debate in the Continental Congress enshrined in the US Constitution, and later made better with much needed amendments. This is where we find ourselves today. American values without American Champions to defend them.
We never asked the party affiliation of the nearly 3,000 Americans who died on this solemn day in 2001. “Let’s Roll”, was a rally for all Americans on Flight 93.
We haven’t wondered whether the thousands of soldiers who died fighting the war on terror were red or blue voters.
We don’t watch a professional sports event and hope the team with the most red or blue party members wins.
When 13 troops died in Afghanistan to rescue hundreds of Americans, no one said, we should rescue just the ones from the party that I associate with. Or, ever wondered about the way those fallen heroes voted.
A Twitter message from Mercedes Martinez struck me yesterday as an embodiment of American values that transcend parties, “Did my dad help you on September 11, 2001?”. An account of her Father’s ingenuity to get home that day and take seven new friends grounded in Omaha to their Denver homes.
Congress people from both parties have at some point declared their candidacy under a party label that claims to represent American values.
Americans go to the polls, either associated with a party label, or leaning one way or the other. Sometimes, not really knowing the reason why. Often clinging to one of two slightly different ideals for how the Federal Government should govern.
What are the differences? One party claims that all Americans deserve a government that will provide services to citizens and that government size simply reflects how much we care about our people. The other party claims that the government should be smaller, services limited to the most needy and that individuals should seek their own happiness with limited government interference.
Each party faithful hangs their hat on these two opposing messages that each claim to be the way to uphold American values hinged on the size of government.
Reality reveals that both messages have failed horribly, yet both parties continue to claim to be the only solution to govern America. A country with 43 million people living below the poverty line does not have a government that serves the people. The US Government is the largest in human history, so the message to limit government has become likewise the largest failure in human history.
Blaming the other side is the next step. Both sides say the other side is blocking progress. The left says the right is uncaring (to state it mildly) and doesn’t care about the people. Yet the government continues to grow larger, borrow more money and poverty continues to grow with the population and ungoverned immigration. The right says the left is dragging the government further left toward a model that has proven to be appealing to younger generations, yet has failed and caused immeasurable human misery. Good people doing horrible things in the name of the common good.
It’s uncertain when things started to become so wrong. It is certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt to most Americans, that we’ve reached an impasse and that Congress will not fix Congress. Only the American people can fix Congress at the ballot box. The parties have made it virtually impossible for a third party to compete and aren’t likely, after centuries of fine tuned law making to keep out competition and improve their party’s majority, to do anything that is against their party’s best interest.
Party Primaries are open in most States. There is typically a very low turnout of the most partisan voters, voting for candidates moving away from the center to appeal to those few voters. Many, many party affiliated voters say their party now no longer speaks for them. These disaffected voters and independents can join together to send moderate party candidates to the general election in 2022 by spiking a high turnout at open Primaries. These Champions of American values that we send to Congress can caucus regardless of party to protect American values. Their moderation is what will move policy forward, not as an opposing force, rather as a voice of reason and common-sense that most Americans crave and good faith representation that we deserve.
The affordable priorities of most Americans that these Champions could commit to should be socialized and documented to establish a standard for American voters to understand and embrace, as well as a standard to hold all Congress people accountable when they each ask to serve us again.
It seems the first order of business for moderate Champions should be to rebuild the Federal Budget to more efficiently spend the nearly $4 Trillion that we send the IRS. An amount of tax revenue that typically doubles every decade. An innovative budget could be the foundation for truly serving Americans and investing in children and underserved communities. If a pathway to future opportunities is available to all Americans without regard to who your parents are or what neighborhood you reside, then that is a true representation of American values. And a good start to curing root problems, rather than focusing on treating symptoms that has long dominated policy making efforts. Congress people will be able to consider innovation instead of nothing in today’s hobbled Congress.
An article that more eloquently outlines American Values: American values are still important. They should transcend political loyalties by Lynn Evans for Common Cause
Notable Quotes by Lynn Evans:
“Democracy, government accountability, the rights of the individual — including the right to criticize elected officials and sue for redress — and the equality of all people before the law. And they saw the press as the essential ally, not the enemy, of the people.”
“A few things should remain true for all of us: a respect for the dignity of every human being, a shared sense of responsibility to one another, a firm conviction that absolutely no one is above the law and a love of country that rests first on the values laid out in our nation’s founding documents. These loyalties should be stronger than any attachment to political party, philosophical beliefs or any elected officials.”
Rampart Caucus is a start point with focused ideas about where to start and the path forward.
Red, Blue or other, come as you are! Keep your party ideals. All Americans just want to know before we vote if a candidate is committed to the will of the American people.
It’s that simple.
We’ll socialize and document what that commitment should look like in The Real American Majority Platform. RAMP will set a nonpartisan standard for electing Congress people regardless of red, blue or minor party affiliation. Party ideals do not transcend or fully support American values. The will of the American people must be considered in addition to party ideals.
RAMP Declaration—Americans shall elect Congress people who first commit to a platform representing the affordable priorities of most Americans.
Rampart Caucus Creed—Coalesce to end this mess, with a message of Hope, Inspiration, Vision of what could be and Enthusiasm to succeed.
Candidates who formally endorse RAMP are the Rampart Caucus.
Send Congress people with common-sense and humility to represent most Americans and neutralize party gridlock.
Let's use the power of the Internet as a Free & Open forum to gift our children a representative democracy.
Rampart Caucus is a Nevada nonprofit incorporated for this Purpose >
Randell S. Hynes is a Senior Cloud Programmer, Father, Husband, Army Veteran with a lifetime of problem solving, advocacy experiences and failures fighting overwhelming odds. About Me > LinkedIn >
Champions Wanted: Humility Required