Our Gardening Tools:
- The Bill of Rights, the most important of which are in the first amendment Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, The Right to Assemble, and Freedom of the Press. The other nine amendments are important in, that they reserve to the people, so that they may exercise their rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights and throughout the Constitution and the other amendments without fear of reprisal, by the government. WE THE PEOPLE hold great power and with that an even greater responsibility to use them in a manner that is respectful of ALL the people.
- Free Speech does NOT give anyone the right to speak untruths, bear false witness or to advocate denial of any person to exercise their rights. Speak your truth but be mindful that not everyone will agree with you completely so listen to them then respond with civility.
- Freedom of Religion – religion gives us our moral compass if the religion is working correctly. I would ask all people follow a simple truth I was told by a Jesuit brother, “It is not the path you walk; it is HOW you walk that path.” So again, be respectful, listen and learn how they can help you be the best version of yourself and you help them to learn as well.
- Freedom Assembly allows all of us to gather together as communities, to discuss our differences, work together and share our successes and losses. It also gives us the right to gather in PEACEFUL protest and to bear witness to injustices perpetrated on those who are powerless. This does NOT give anyone the right to start a riot, to cause harm to people who are engaged in PEACEFUL protest. The protest gatherings are one of the most powerful tools WE THE PEOPLE have to challenge a government that wishes to suppress any dissent. Do NOT give that government a chance to call your protest a riot.
- Freedom of the Press – The first thing any government in trying to suppress the people, will work to control independent journalism so they can control the narrative. The things that WE THE PEOPLE can do to counter this is to not support any outlet that folds to government demands or is obviously promoting the agenda of the government and let them know why. Big media outlets understand boycotts. Know the difference between opinion and factual reporting, most “news” sources today are heavily tailoring their reporting to conform to support the propaganda of one side or another. Beware of propaganda disguised as news. The untruth told often and loudly enough is still an untruth. Untruths cannot be used to justify any action no matter how good the intent may be or we give up the idea that Justice is fair and equal.
- Read the Constitution and the Amendments for yourself. If you want a perspective of what the Framers of the Constitution were thinking of, read the Federalist Papers that is the explanation of their intent. For many of you this will be the first time you have read the Constitution and Amendments. This document is not some dusty old parchment in a museum it was and still is the most important document in modern history. The Constitution is the most radical of any of its counterparts for the words “WE THE PEOPLE”. This was anathema to the most of the governments of the day because of the idea that the “people” had the right to not only choose their government but also that the government was subservient to the people. But the idea caught on and in the next 50 years many European Monarchies had accepted some form representative government. Ignore the idea of “originalist interpretation”, The Constitution is NOT and was never meant to be confined to the writings of the Framers. The Framers knew they were human and that mistakes get made, they gave us the means to adapt the Constitution according to changing times and concerns and to do this in a peaceful and thoughtful process. As a historical fact the Constitution originally did not have what is known as the Bill of Rights. The individual States insisted that the first ten amendments, The Bill Rights, be attached and presented before the Constitution AND Bill of Rights was sent to the people for ratification.
- The Framers of the Constitution set up the government in such a way that COMPROMISE was a necessity to govern, this is often overlooked in the rhetoric and desire of the major parties today. Governance is now a matter one party dominating the other with neither side willing to compromise. WE THE PEOPLE are diverse, often discordant, but we all have the basic freedoms in the Bill of Rights and we must understand that just because you disagree with another person does not mean you cannot have a civil conversation with them and find a common ground that provides for the good of all the people. One way that WE THE PEOPLE have to hold the government responsible is tell our elected employees they work for us not the other way around. You can do this by contacting their offices and voicing your opinion on their performance – Flood their email and letter boxes, they understand numbers and then if they do not change to meet your expectations, then fire them by not voting for them. Do this on every level Federal, State, County, City and School Boards. Whenever possible, especially at the local levels, go to the meetings of your government, if they are taking comments from the public, speak truth with dignity and respect. If you can’t respect the persons in power then at least respect the office. Being disrespectful plays into the narrative these people have of dissenters and will used to further degrade your cause.
- Vote! Do so legally, get registered, know the rules for Vote by Mail, other means of early voting, or find out where your polling place is. Help others to vote and register to vote (beware all jurisdictions have rules for how registration can be done). Research the candidates and issues on the ballot, many jurisdictions have sample ballots so you know what and who you are voting on (for or against is your individual choice). Personally, I ignore endorsements from the same party I feel this reduces the candidate’s ability to work for the benefit of their constituents. I, personally, again don’t let some talking head tell me how to vote, often this is a matter of these people getting paid for their endorsement. You are always free to vote as you see fit. Another way you can be helpful is to get trained and registered as a poll watcher or poll worker. If you find that the government is trying to disenfranchise voters, seize ballots, or otherwise disrupt the process in a way you see as potentially illegal, document it, almost everyone has a cellphone so video (when it is allowed)as it is happening. Always make sure you comply with the voting place regulations on the use of cameras/cellphones but you usually can take notes.
- Get involved with local action groups that practice peaceful protests for causes you believe in. Be involved actively, document the protests and any action that leads to police or military to react. Beware of people who do not seem to be a part of your group, they could be the perpetrators paid by the people or group against your protest to cause chaos and mayhem thus causing a police or military action.
- Educate yourself and anyone else willing to listen. Be willing to listen to others.
- If you see a government agent or agents taking an illegal action – document it! Then inform others of what you have documented. Beware of agencies that don’t want the truths of their actions being known.
- Keep up the actions listed above. The present state of affairs is the result of 50 years of behind-the-scenes manipulation of the system. These people think they are untouchable and will fight to keep things going their way. So let us shine the light on them as well.