"…for which it stands…" by Howard Blum Do those words have a familiar ring to you? They should. While we may no longer require the youngsters of America to take a "Pledge of Allegiance" to the flag in school, those hallowed words should be revered. I prefer the original rendition: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Our government is a republic rather than a democracy. Care to wager how many of our graduating high school seniors know that? You would probably cry at the answer to that question, but that is fuel for another Another Howard Line. Once upon a time in America we really did stand for something. We were known throughout the world as the land of the free and the home of the brave. Look at us today through the eyes of the rest of the world and you will not like what we have become. Why did we allow it to happen? Why did we allow our representatives to undermine all that was good and just and virtuous? With each passing day our rights are being infringed upon by a government out of control. A government that feels the electorate doesn't give a damn, so they do what they want. My point is simple: there are responsibilities of citizenship rather than just rights. In order for our republic to function properly and survive, we need the participation of all of our citizens. We need more than just AARP fighting to protect the benefits of the senior citizens, more than the NAACP watching out for the rights of our black brothers and sisters, and more than the ACLU looking out for whomever. For a very long time, government made it too easy for us to let them think and do for us. The experiment in social engineering has been a catastrophic failure. How many times have you heard someone say, "The special interest groups are running the country" in one variation or another? How about "My vote just doesn't matter."? Have you ever said something like that yourself? Well, my friends, the pessimists are right! The special interests are ruling the roost. They do have the attention of our legislators. Why? Because we do not participate, and the lobbyists have a sense of purpose and commitment, plus a whole lot of CASH. As long as we do not take an active role in our government and our future by telling our legislators what we think, what we feel, what we need and what is right, they will listen to the vocal few. We have no one to blame but ourselves. So how did we get into the mess we are in today? In part the politicians are to blame. The politicians, by their words and actions, have nurtured apathy as though it were a virtue. I feel they knowingly and wantonly did this to us. Our educational system has been devastated to the point that we are graduating scores of functionally illiterate students out of the public high school systems around the country. Why? So they could have their own unabated control of everything. An uneducated electorate plays right into the hands of those elements within government that want the Orwellian vision of big brother. However, they are not completely to blame! We must take much of the blame and responsibility because we let them get away with it. We must take our country back from the special interests. the lobbyists, the influence peddlers and yes, our own politicians. While we hear commentary after commentary about the lack of "Leadership" in Washington, we'd better get used to it unless we do something about it. Leadership requires courage. Without popular support for the people with the courage of conviction and principles, they dare not step forward as it would be political suicide. Let me be clear: I am not encouraging anyone to form a militia, join a radical group or plan something subversive I am talking about the words within the first amendment of our constitution, the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. When was the last time you called your Senator's office or your Congress person's office? When was the last time you voiced your opinion somewhere other than over the coffee pot or copy machine in the office? When was the last time you researched information on a national issue rather than get your information from a 30- second sound bite on the evening news? When was the last time you asked someone running for office a tough question about an issue you feel strongly about? The clock is ticking, and if we the people do not wake up soon and reclaim our country from everyone buying a vote on something, there may be nothing left to protect or govern. You think I am an alarmist, don't you? While the Democrats and the Republicans fight over reforming the Medicare program, no one is discussing the underlying problem. We are looking at runaway entitlement spending growth that must be controlled or it will consume us and totally destroy this great nation! FACT — Entitlement spending plus interest on the national debt will consume ALL federal revenues by the year 2011 unless we do something about it. Not one red cent left over for interest on the national debt, salaries for government employees, no subsidies to keep the Post Office open, no military, no government, nothing! FACT — The Social Security program, the one no politician in Washington DC (for district of criminals) is willing to discuss, is no longer "on budget." Our national legislators took it off budget to make the deficits appear to be smaller than reality. That's right, it is not included in any budget projections from Democrats or Republicans. It wasn't that long ago (August I think) that Congressman Bob "Tail Gunner" Dornan (R-CA) told the nation, on a nationally broadcast radio program, "No one in Washington is telling the truth, nor will they any time soon, because the American people are not ready to hear the truth." I heard those words myself and I am still in shock. Just how brazen are they going to get before we do something about it? Tired of getting incompetent people running the country? Tired of categorical liars running the country? Tired of having a President of the United States elected by a minor fraction of the population? Then maybe it is time to get involved. Get angry and send a letter. Call a liar like Dianne Feinstein or Tom Daschle and ask them why they ran on a platform of supporting a balanced budget amendment and voted against it less than 30 days after the 104th Congress convened and Feinstein took her oath of office. My friends, participation can be as simple as reading a newspaper story with national implications and making a telephone call to your representative in the District of Criminals to see where they stand and why. I call them criminals because they are robbing the hope and prosperity of future generations of Americans. Imagine your children or your grandchildren sneaking across the border to Mexico or Canada in pursuit of the basic necessities that we take for granted in this country today. The time is now to get involved. Ask your legislators some tough questions. Ask the Democrats to stop posturing and distorting the truth more e than the Republicans are. Ask the Republicans why they have reneged on their commitment for campaign and lobbying reform. Become a part of the solution instead of remaining a part of the problem. Together we can restore the vitality of this great nation and the vision of our forefathers. Most of all remember my most recent admonition from my newsletter dated 11/3/95. "Never trust a naked bus driver or a politician running for office.   Howard Blum is an area coordinator for The Concord Coalition, a nationwide non-partisan group of concerned citizens for America's future. He is a successful mortgage broker in Northern California. Blum self-publishes several newsletters on a daily, weekly and monthly basis and began observing the Fed when he joined E.F. Hutton & Company on Wall Street in 1969