Midterms, Free Snicker Bars, and Democracy.

Every Sunday morning after I thank the Big man above for waking me up I usually roll out of bed and turn on the Sunday political talk shows. Like a caffeine addict, I usually need my political fix around 9 am.  I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but if I was I would probably like it black. I prefer things unadulterated and pure without any sweeteners (embellishments) or cream (fluff). As I watched these shows all I heard were politicos babbling about who’s up and who’s down. Rarely did I hear anyone discuss his or her vision for the country. The political sparring without regard for the issues, like coffee will leave a nasty stain that not even crest whitening strips will be able to fix. No matter which party controls the House and Senate after Nov. 2^nd it is important that Americans hold their elected officials accountable for representing their interests. Don’t allow the composition of Congress to silence your thoughts and opinions about the way our country should be run.

Pollsters and pundits have already crowned the GOP as the victors today. As I write this blog post I do not know the outcome of any of the races, however I do know that if the Republicans win 10 senate seats and 39 house seats they will become the majority. Let’s put the statistics aside for a moment. No matter if an elephant or donkey wins, Americans will still be on top. Continue to lobby, advocate, and mobilize around the issues that matter to you.  In my mind Democracy is a verb. The only way to flex your democratic muscle is to stay involved in the political process. There is still much work to do in the areas of jobs, healthcare, civil rights, and education.

Here are three things that I will continue to fight for after Nov. 2^nd

1. Dream Act- It is unrealistic to think that we can deal with the immigration problem by deporting all undocumented immigrants. The Dream Act provides conditional resident status to undocumented immigrants who are of good moral character (no arrests or disciplinary record), high school graduates or attained a GED, and have been in the U.S. for 5 years by the age 16 on the condition that they pursue a college degree or join the military. Giving the estimated 65,000 undocumented students the opportunity to become citizens will add more voters to the rolls, consequentially giving more people an opportunity to participate in Democracy.
2. Race To The Top- It is imperative to continue in the fight to eradicate disparities in public education. Also, teachers deserve more recognition for high achievement.
3. Free Snickers Bars- Still working the kinks out on that one.