Seeking true campaign finance reform

I view the ongoing campaign finance and lobbying disclosure controversies as merely the consequences of many citizens allowing themselves to be treated like political quadriplegics.

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Sadly, modern political techniques have most politicians paying to cater to public prejudices. That's why one needn't wonder at communist style redefinition of words used by our Founding Fathers in politics. Words like liberty, freedom, patriotism, rights, pursuit of happiness, welfare, domestic tranquility, opportunity, peace, honor, conscience, public service - all have had their uses so perverted, that they aren't worth dog excrement anymore. Political tradition and election campaign tricks now have more power than founding political methodology (like developing and utilizing an informed and functional citizen body). Witness the shameful spectacles that citizens usually endure during election time, and the civic suffering from misunderstandings caused by slanted political "polling." Yet people of good will are persuaded that this is the way it is and nothing can ever change it!

How refreshing, then, would it be for Tony Knowles, Lisa Murkowski and Don Young to be different? Let them spend some of that non-Alaskan/outside interest campaign money they are collecting on helping ensure public familiarity with the full methodology of active citizenship.

They could then concentrate on consulting citizens in the orthodox manner intended by the Founding Fathers - instead of just paying to make political puppets who dance for them, using public relations tricks. Even Governor Murkowski could spend his $225,000 leftover campaign money on distributing James Madison's 400-word essay "The Union: Who Are Its Real Friends?" to every Alaskan. CBJ politicians could pay for the public distribution of Juneau's "Neighborhood Association" ordinance.

The mercenary trend of political money substituting for civic participation could be reversed with such gestures.

So money or partisan politics is not the issue, here. Commitment to our form of government is.

I urge every Alaskan to increase civic participation in, and support for, the only political promise worth the breath to utter it. This is a declaration of intention to uphold and utilize(!) the U.S. and Alaska constitutions.

Otherwise we might risk future history showing each Alaskan, from ignorant complacency, as an accessory to murder: the careless murder of the spirit of this American republic.

Stuart Thompson

Auke Bay