Did You Hear the Tree Fall?"

"Did You Hear the Tree Fall?"
                              
                                Jan. 24, 1997

What is truth? Do any of us know it? Can we define it?
Or, even find it? As a people living in a free nation
truth is essential. For without it, we are lost, without beliefs or confidence in what we are told.

Truth is a valuable commodity that seems to be in short supply. We can never be certain whether or not we are
being told the truth.

"A man's word is his bond" is only a distant creed, no longer used to address one's integrity. And I wonder
how many of us realize this, or even care?

Thoughts of truth come to mind when I think of politicians
who should be paragons of virtue and honest without fault.
All politicians have are their words, and if we cannot be
confident in what they tell us is true, what else is there?


But they are not. They seek to persaude us


Can we re-capture "truth" and restore this creed and
allow people to 'know' when they read or hear something
they can be confident it is true?

Yes we can. But it takes diligence and a concerted
effort to FIND the truth. To question what you hear
or read. To CHALLENGE those who seek to persuade you.
Only with our personal efforts can find the truth.









I think it's too late for voters to learn enough
about the candidates and the issues before election
day. And we are the poorer for it.

The average American knows more about the Simpson
trial than they do about individuals asking to
represent them.  Yet, the people we elect impact
our pocketbooks and regulate our lives.

Most of us select a person either by party, personality,
one key issue, or an outside influence (spouse, friend, celebrity).

We know little about the legislation to be introduced,
or how candidates will be voting.  And the legislation
is so complex even our representatives don't know all
the elements before passing news laws.

The media reports on negative ads, rather than presenting real differences between candidates. And the candidates become evasive when pressed to defend an unpopular vote.

The blame belongs to each of us. "We get the representation we deserve". This statement was never truer.

How do we fix it? By taking the election process as a serious exercise. Study the candidates and issues. See how
new legislation impacts you, your state and our country.

And once the election is over keep in touch with your legislators.  Let them know you care, are interested and will be an active citizen.

A bigger challenge is to overhaul Congressional rules.
Allow all votes to come to the floor and not stay bottled
in committee.  Provide a line item veto, change two-year Congressional terms to four years and allow legislation
to be put to a state or national vote.

Much needs to be done, but it has to start with us.

                                  
                                Anthony J. Bruno