Basic Things We Can Do

People ask me every day what they can do to make a difference. So I’m listing, in no particular, order basic things that every person can do and that will begin to make a difference.

1. Write letters to the editor of your local newspapers. If your local paper refuses to print your letters call the managing editor and demand an explanation.

2. Research the information that is being reported in your local newspapers. The Bradford newspaper is the poster child for the complete absence of credibility in reporting and on its editorial page. Managing editor Mark Ivancic of The Bradford Era was caught red-handed on more than one occasion, changing copyrighted, syndicated articles to intentionally make them read counter to the authors’ intent, and that includes my work. He may be one of the most contemptible managing editors, but he is by no means alone in said practice.

3. If your newspapers do not carry conservative opinion-editorial writers on a weekly basis end your subscriptions and/or stop purchasing them from vendors. Tell the editors why you are canceling your subscription. Why pay for something that is not meeting your expectations? Encourage five of your friends to do same, and have them encourage five of their friends, and so on.

4. Write reasoned, respectful letters to area businesses that advertise in your local newspapers. Clearly state your discontent with them advertising in a local newspaper that is deeply slanted to the left and/or refuses to carry conservative opinion-editorial commentaries and that pushes opinions contrary to your beliefs. And one that engages in biased reporting — site examples.

5. Make it a point to call in to local talk-radio programming and voice your concerns and share cogent, reasoned thoughts. Calling and insisting that Obama is bringing Russian troops to America to help put us in FEMA camps is not reasoned nor cogent. But calling and discussing Benghazi is.

6. Send handwritten letters to your Congressman and Senators. Without using profanities and threats, make your positions clearly known. For approximately one dollar, you can send two letters a month to your representatives. Call their local offices and congressional offices weekly. Let them know when you disapprove and when you approve. When elected officials start receiving several bags of mail daily all condemning the same thing it will get their attention. I can tell you that while emails are okay, 99 percent of elected representatives do not read them. The email comes in, and an automated letter goes out. Why do you think you receive a praise report from your representative when you write addressing a totally different subject? Snail-mail works.

7. Keep in mind that the elected are not our friends — they are our employees. They either represent us and our interests or we replace them. Rewarding failed representatives like Pat Toomey, R-PA and Marco Rubio, R-FL with reelection simply reinforces to them that they can do what they want and remain in office. John Boehner, John McCain, Eric Cantor, Lindsey Graham, et al. have done nothing to serve our interests, and still they are rewarded with reelection over and over. How does rewarding failure incentivize the elected to change?

8. Stop supporting candidates Republican hierarchy tells us we must elect to prevent a liberal from winning. The only difference between a liberal and a moderate is the spelling. We are conservatives not liberals and not moderates. We should not waste a nano second considering support for someone who isn’t in lockstep with our convictions and concerns.

9. Do not be afraid not to vote, and do not send money to the Republican National Committee or Karl Rove’s 527. They do not use that money to support the candidates we want supported. Voting for the lesser of two evils has never given us candidates we can rely on. Quite the opposite. Every successful person, every successful sports team, every successful entrepreneur understands that you cannot be afraid to lose if you expect to win. I’ve said it before, Obama is not our enemy: we are own enemies because we bought the bags of manure Rove, Reince Preibus, et al. were peddling per how great Mitt Romney would be. We absolved ourselves by saying things like “Herman Cain was my first choice but…” It is imperative to remember we elect candidates; contrary to political mythology, our votes still count.

10. Become militant. Refuse to be bullied and refuse to comply to bastardizations of legislation designed to deprive us of our rights. For example, how many people can our government punish if the 61 percent of Americans opposed to Obamacare refused to comply with it?

11. Organize protests around television networks and their local affiliates in your towns. Why at the television stations? Because it is impossible for you to be ignored when you are in front of their steps.

12. Stop believing internet myths that are circulated. Aliens didn’t crash at Roswell, and Obama isn’t going to appoint himself supreme leader and refuse to leave office.

13. Attend your local municipality meetings. They meet monthly and go mostly unattended. It is our job to do the little things that make a difference before we run out and attempt to do some grandiose effort.

14. Print out posters condemning a particular political action and post them around town. If they work for lost dogs and yard sales why not for our causes?

15. Those with the means, spend money helping those of us who are engaged and are not simply tools for those in office who are already not paying attention to the will of the people.

16. And finally, asking God to save the nation while we continue to place our hopes in the same failed politicians is idiotic. Our first step should be to seek the Lord for ourselves and make sure our lives are right with God. When that happens the 15 things listed above will fall in place without a lot of effort.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. It is a list for those who want to be involved and do not know how to make that happen. These seemingly insignificant things we can do will encourage and empower us to do greater things. My single most important question is, what has doing things the way they have been done the last years done for you and me? If your answer is nothing, then isn’t it time we tried something different? Can it hurt?

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