Can you hold Congress accountable for failure to protect a generation that requires warning labels not to eat laundry detergent? In 2022, 185 election deniers won. Twenty-three percent of voters polled stated Donald Trump has never done anything wrong. The Brookings Institution has think tank sessions about how to involve more minorities in science. Why aren’t they asking how to get more Republican members of Congress involved in science or vote for background checks?
The laws in this land are created by wealthy individuals that use the government to make a profit in their respective industry at the expense of the overall population. In 2022, there were over 1,200 lobbyists that spent at least $3.73 billion influencing lawmakers. Greedy elected officials have failed to protect the citizens from hardship, illness or even death, while doing the bidding of the rich and powerful.
Deaths and disease in the USA from tobacco use are rampant.
Smoking kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined, and thousands more are dying from spit tobacco use. Of all the kids who become new smokers each year, almost a third will ultimately die from it. In addition, smokers lose a decade of life because of their smoking. For every person who dies from smoking, at least 30 more are suffering from serious smoking-caused disease and disability.
Can you explain why elected leaders have not made tobacco illegal, knowing for over 20 years that tobacco has no redeeming qualities? Can you explain how politicians went from reversing decades of no gambling due to the negative effects on society to approving a casino on every phone? Can you explain how we had an attempted coup and none of “the good old boys” (elected government officials) has been charged with a crime or unethical behavior by Congress after two years?
If Congress thinks marijuana is dangerous but tobacco is not, are they even qualified to fix abortion laws, gun violence, health care, immigration or educate the public on the dangers of climate change, gambling or drugs? Can Congress or schools teach integrity, responsibility and accountability? Can they recognize the Bill of Rights and still unite citizens with patriotism for America and not only their party?
As I have previously discussed:
Considering 185 Republican candidates who raised unfounded doubts about the validity or integrity of the 2020 election results won, a national solution is to convince each state to educate all citizens with a 30-minute TV program that provides facts and explains when, where and how to vote in each state and the Electoral College process. Television and radio could solve the national lack of patriotism by teaching civics and the voting process. This would restore faith in elections and government and showcase pride in America, which is a needed public service and opportunity.
The government of the people, by the people and for the people, through the Federal Communications Commission, should require each channel to provide at least 60 minutes a week of nonpolitical public education, including voting issues and processes. In 1983, 90% of U.S. media was owned by 50 companies. By 2020, through deregulation and mergers, 90% of media, without a truth filter, was owned by six corporations. Media could solve the cost of higher education by offering free education on television. Earn an associate degree from CBS or PBS, or history credits from the History channel.
Johnny Vaughan
Lewes
