“You don't always get what you ask for, but you never get what you don't ask for...unless it's contagious!” - Franklyn Broude.
If you don’t ask for it then don't expect to get it no matter how much you grumble. Government at every level has always been criticized for not delivering to their promises or chartered responsibilities. Yet all the public seems to do is grumble about how bad government is yet take no real actions to change the situation.
In reality most of our regulatory and enforcement agencies are grossly underfunded or operate so inefficiently that they do not have adequate resources to properly do their jobs. They have a great tendency to take the path of least resistance when it comes to the enforcement of laws and regulations.
When large corporations and individuals with lots of money and legal resources are confronted by governments about violations of the law the agencies tend to make large compromises which usually favor such offenders, and the offending corporations and individuals easily get away with breaking laws that we less endowed people could not possibly do. It is in the nature of the well-endowed to look only after their self-interests. That is why they are successful. It is an unfair system but that is the way it works not only in Democracies but in most other forms of governments. Those who have the resources have an unjust advantage over those who don't, a form of survival of the fittest.
So how do we get the system to work for the majority of less endowed individuals? By taking ACTION against injustices. We have got to get out of our comfort zones and literally and openly express our displeasures to government regulators in-mass. One thing government is sensitive to is public option and bad publicity. Government agencies are sensitive to being called incompetent in public and in the press. This is their Achilles tendon and our primary recourse.
There is no place for an apathetic public. Grumbling to yourself and your friends gets you nowhere. You must grumble with your friends to the government agencies, in public, and to the press. You must embarrass them into submitting to your rights and wishes. You must become an advocate and activist for your cause and against injustices. The more people do it the more powerful is the effect. That is unfortunately how the system works. Don’t expect the government to fight for your rights unless you are willing to fight with them.
It is also not good enough to just elect officials who you hope will represent your views. They are equally swayed by powerful cooperate interests and well-endowed individuals. You must be forever vigilant.
—submitted by Frank Geefay
