Have you ever heard someone say something along the lines of “I wish we could get a decent leader in office,” “All politicians are crooks,” or even “If I were in office, things would be different”? Many of us have found an issue with various local or state laws, taxation, or other issues that continue getting rammed down our throats. What happened to the idea of We the People? Why isn’t the mechanism of change discussed in our schools?

Many in this country do not realize that we are a Republic – as opposed to a Democracy. And yes… the two are quite different. And even if more people know that than I am giving them credit for, there is a good chance that most wouldn’t be able to articulate what those differences actually are. I will not get into that here because I have written about that topic too many times. However, I think it’s important to emphasize the phrase “We the People” for a moment.

“We the People” doesn’t just mean “all Americans.” The framers of our Constitution made it clear that the government gets all of its powers from all of the Citizens of the United States of America. CITIZENS! The irony is that… of course, it does. I think many in this country have forgotten that.

So we see the posts of complaints. Yet we see the laws that violate the Constitution continue to pass–despite the fact that our Founders and even the Supreme Court have made it abundantly clear that all laws repugnant to the Constitution are void. Probably didn’t learn that in school, either. So there seems to be this “thing” where people talk about wanting things to change, but they also seem eager to wait for someone else to make it happen because they feel helpless. Well, almost any history book will show you how bad of an idea that can be. So many sit idle and lie to themselves, “if only we had a great leader, they could fix this for us.”

This is a fundamentally flawed idea, and I couldn’t disagree with it more. Some hero in power will not correct our collective problems. That’s not how it works here. People that impact change get thrust into power by their followers. This means that if you want something done, you will have to get involved – even if only to get someone else in position. Then you’ll have to stay involved – even if only to hold them accountable. It’s sort of like how I have often said I wouldn’t run for office… but if people put me there, of course, I would lead. But that’s the deal. YOU need to understand the power that YOU really have, and YOU need to understand YOUR responsibility in it.

IF YOU WANT CHANGE – BE THE CHANGE! The power wielded by those in leadership comes directly from those willing to follow. The change you seek is often possible only by a change in leadership – but that is just a change in YOUR willingness as the follower. Furthermore, leadership is about seizing the opportunity and acting when others either cannot or do not. If people want change, they must become the arm of change by leading that change themselves. This is done by collaborating with others eager to do the same and then thrusting the leader they desire into the positions they require them to be in. Those merely hoping others will act in their stead will be left old and disappointed.

We are NOT a Democracy and were never meant to be one. Yet… we watch Democracy slime over our Republic like a fungus. As a result, we see Democracy’s failures and the rise of socialist solutions – which provide horrible outcomes. I know… many didn’t learn that in school, either. I won’t even get into the impending face-off between radical religions seeking a stronger foothold.

So here’s a lesson you should have received in school: We should not thrust our religious or moral expectations and bias upon someone else any more than we should allow others to thrust theirs upon us. We should not rob our treasuries for redistributive purposes, and we shouldn’t be living in perpetual debt and hoping that future generations will pay such debts off. We shouldn’t be allowing laws for the sake of generating revenue or punishing others for things that are clearly legal under the Constitution. Finally, we should remember the differences between a Right and a Privilege and defend our Rights the way they should be protected. Why? Because that’s the whole point.

And you know what? While I’m talking about things we didn’t learn in school, let me also say that more than half of all students “graduate” high school unprepared for college. Can we stop with the budget debates already? How much you pay a teacher doesn’t fix the messed up curriculum they are forced to shove down our children’s throats – a curriculum that teaches partial truths, contortions, propaganda, and talking points. Too many kids are coming out of school dumb as rocks and confused as hell. This is a big part of why this whole deal is messed up in the first place. But if we wanted to be accurate, we could say that the problem has less to do with the underpaid teachers and the twisted curriculum. Instead, the problem starts at home and likely has more to do with the lack of value a child sees in the education itself. This is probably evidenced by how a child “has to go to school” instead of “gets to go to school” or how mom and dad rarely get involved in reviewing the material themselves.

Remember… education is a right. Going to an institution to get indoctrinated is not. You have power… even if you don’t currently recognize that and even if your teacher told you we live in a democracy. Read the Constitution; reclaim your power. Then… DO SOMETHING WITH THAT POWER! Impact change by getting involved.

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