Feeling Patriotic? Why Not Let Your Voice Be Heard?

A friend of mine has a T-shirt that defines the word “patriotism” as “not letting our leaders ruin our country by ignoring the principles on which it was founded.” Food for thought as we go into the 4th of July weekend.

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter told a packed house at the Renewable Energy Finance Forum a few weeks ago the following story, illustrative of the issues at hand.  The University of Colorado at Boulder recently completed a survey of many thousands of residents from around the state, in which participants provided their viewpoints on a myriad of energy-related issues.  Among other things, the study showed that an overwhelming majority favored a bill on the floor on Congress that would place a tax on carbon and create financial incentive for businesses and households to reduce their carbon footprints. To Ritter’s astonishment, one of the senators from his state, under pressure from special interests, went back to Congress and voted against the bill that his constituents had so clearly favored.

Our democracy is teetering on the edge of complete collapse under the weight of powerful corporate lobbies, and it has only one hope for success: you.   To the degree to which our leaders can perform sordid garbage (like the example above) without dealing with the outrage of voters, we’re doomed.  So this 4th of July, I hope you’ll take a moment, write your elected representatives, and express your concerns about our great country and where it’s headed.