America has been reacting, or running on fear, since the war of 1812, when it was attacked for the first time. We are constantly in fear of losing our way of life or some power taking over the world, and we act out of fear of that somehow happening. Usually the military is preventing this. We do it with the poor, fearing they will become an undue burden on us or rise up against us when we raise the minimum wage, or do anything to make their lives better.

Equal rights came from the people scaring the government into giving people those rights.

So, when is America going to stop being about fear and start being about what is right, and leading based on what is right? That is my question to our leaders who can make it happen with citizen referendum. When are the people going to stand up and say we are going to spend our money on this and not that, and demand to turn this country around? We are already seeing it on minimum wage, whether that is the right way to go or not. Some have suggested capping prices on items like food, shelter, and healthcare. That is another possible avenue to travel.

We need to demand that the government stop working for their rich friends and start working for the everyday person. We need schools that work in this day and age as a true place of learning, and not as a daycare or producer of factory workers. We need research for cures that will belong to the people and not the drug companies. We have let corporations run us into a corner, out of fear. They have taken what was once considered common community property away from us by scaring us.

It is time we stood up and said no more.

We need to pass laws and elect officials that will not bow down to these corporations. Officials are meant to keep the balance between businesses and workers, as well as preserve the environment for future generations – and our government has been doing a poor job of that, to say the least.

They are also supposed to protect our rights, but they let fear dictate what happens to our rights instead, and they have for a long time. It is time to say no more. We have to stop fearing change that is both good for us and the planet, simply because the corporations don’t like it. Yes, people from one business will lose jobs, but be employed by another. We have to start being leaders and not fear mongers, like the corporations want us to be. We must stand up and do what is right.

If we can’t do that, we have no business telling the rest of the world what to do, plain and simple.

*Tips his hat and burns down the door, walking through the ashes*