Happy New Year - Democracy is Coming!
January 1, 2025
I am well aware of the fact that a lot of terrible things are likely to happen in 2025, both politically and in terms of the consequences of our continued failure to respond appropriately to the existential threat posed by global warming. I am painfully aware of the fact that there is not much I can do to change that grim reality.
The Serenity Prayer is proving to be particularly helpful right now. Finding the serenity to accept the things I cannot change is being helped immeasurably by focusing intently (and happily) on a couple of things I can change.
I have filed two initiative petitions in my home state of Missouri. One of them provides for electronic signatures on petitions for veto referendums and initiative petitions (through Online Accounts for Politically Active Citizens). The other one would implement a system of Proxies for Citizens that would enable anyone who is eligible to vote in Missouri to assign a proxy to any one member of the Missouri Senate and any one member of the Missouri house and then give each senator and each representative a number of votes equal to the number of proxies they have been assigned, plus one for themselves, on everything voted on in the General Assembly. Proxies can be re-assigned at any time if the legislator you have selected as your proxy is not voting the way you would vote. (Also through Online Accounts for Politically Active Citizens.) The combined effect of getting these two pro-democracy reforms on the ballot will be to make the idealistic vision of the opening lines of the Missouri constitution a glorious reality:
“All political power is vested in and derived from the people. All government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their will only and is instituted for the good of the whole.” [Missouri Constitution, Article I, Section 1]
Robert M. “Fighting Bob” LaFollette (a progressive Republican from back in the day) once said that:
“If the people want a government of their own, they must do the work of making it their own.”
I do want us to have a government of our own - government by the people - a true democracy. I am very excited about doing the work needed to make that happen. I am looking forward to convincing a thousand or so of my fellow Missourians to join me in that effort. When we get the job done, we will make history! And 2025 (and 2026, and years to come) will be much, much happier for the people of Missouri.
I can’t imagine a more worthy cause right now than a campaign to Make Missouri (and eventually America) a Perfect Democracy.
Happy New Year!
- Winston
P. S. - If you would like to learn more about the pro-democracy reforms proposed in the initiative petitions I have filed, please visit the Government by the People website.