Democracy and Human Rights

Let voters share law-making power with Congress, giving US a check and balance against torture, domestic spying, perpetual war & debt, Presidential "signing statements," ad nauseum. The Swiss have kept their Parliament honest this way since 1891! National ballot initiatives would be like state ones but far more deliberative, easier and less influenced by money. The best proposal is by Sen. Mike Gravel and YOU can now vote to ratify it at VOTE.org, much as citizens ratified the Constitution!

Support the National Initiative for Democracy! This idea, proposed by Sen. Mike Gravel, would empower the American people to become a kind of supplement to the Congress. They would propose legislation, vote on it, and pass it into law if it got enough votes. This would empower the American people to stop relying on corrupt politicians and a broken system in order to get things done and better their nation. Support real, direct democracy in America!

Send a clear message to the Pakistani people that we support democracy in their country by empowering dissenting voices like Bhutto, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Nawaz Sharif. Attach some strings to the billions we're sending over in aid by DEMANDING that whoever the President is, they kill or capture Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri.

The only answer to today's problems is to empower the American people to make laws, which is the very definition of freedom.

UN peacekeeping soldiers need the training and authority to effectively quell unwarranted aggression in the areas to which they are deployed. For too long, these forces have been ineffectual and effete - their status as peacekeepers shouldn't preclude their using the force necessary to protect democracy and quash totalitarian abuses.

Ban all lobbyists from influencing government spending and start making humane decisions on government spending based on the needs of the people.

And stop any and all funds to the United Nations.

I think high school is the place to do this -- introduce the kids to some important, simple but challenging concepts and realities about how our country and how the world works. Give students a realistic view of these things. I think if we did, that could reduce conspiracy-minded thinking. And there is an appalling amount of that out there.

Every single thing that this "administration" has done to dismantle the Constitution MUST be reversed. The process for restoring our nation's freedom must begin on Day One. How can we possibly preach "democracy" to the rest of the world if our own leaders don't want us to keep it here in America?

1.) Reinstate the 'fairness doctrine'. We can not afford a Balkanized media which will inevitably lead to a Balkanized public. And after witnessing Roanda and Bosnia, what more evidence do we need that this is not the way to go. Let the Sumner Redstone types cry in their campaign. The first amendment was never intended to be a license to lie. Nor was intended to be used solely for the profit of the super rich who own all the media.