You and I know that there are way more than ten strange political oddities. But these are the ten that really jump out to me. You may have some of your own that you would like to share. So, please chime in at any time. Here they are…

10. If “con” is the opposite of “pro”, then isn’t Congress the opposite of progress?

9. The word democracy comes from a Greek word “demos” for “people” and “kratia” for “rule” in which power was not concentrated in the hands of one person but many. In their case, there were 5,000 members of their Assembly or main legislative body.

8. Separation of church and state is one of the fundamental principles of our government, yet court witnesses are required to swear on The Bible. (Let’s see…what’s wrong with this picture?)

7. John Locke, with his exposition of the “social contract theory” of government, directly influenced our founding fathers. However, he was also known for his “Fundamental Constitutions” for the new colony of South Carolina which was a document that provided for a semi-authoritarian form of government, built on the backs of African slaves. Turns out that Locke held stock in the Royal African Company that monopolized England’s slave trade. (Hmmmm…he must have been a Republican). So, Locke’s government had everything — equality, liberty, justice…and slaves.

6. The Republican party actually came from Rome, not Greece, while their Senate which supposedly represented the people, actually was composed of wealthy members who covertly pursued pro-business legislation. (Some things just never change.)

5. In Democracy in America, Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville expressed serious reservations about the political practices of America. He stated that America’s brand of democracy might lead to a “tyranny of the majority”. (Something to think about).

4. The Continental Congress resolved this country’s independence from England on July 2nd and members signed the Declaration on August 2nd. The July 4th date was a myth created during the first half of the nineteenth century. So, you really should be popping those firecrackers on August 2nd instead of the 4th of July. (Damn, someone’s always out there to ruin the party).

3. Just as an aside, Columbus didn’t discover America. This country was already populated with indigenous people with a developed civilization. He just made it possible for Europeans to exploit it.

2. Thomas Jefferson credited with the famous phrase in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…(blah, blah, blah)…”among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Well, it turns out that Jefferson had struck out “property” on the original draft which read “and the pursuit of property” and inserted “happiness” instead which it then read “and the pursuit of happiness”. (Hmmm…he was probably a closet Republican.)

1. Since 1789, there have been over 20,000 “Presidential Directives” or Executive Orders as we have all come to know them. They carry the force of law, even though the Constitution clearly places all lawmaking solely in the hands of the Congress.

You should also be aware of the current administration’s penchant for power in this area. The Bush Administration under the leadership of Alberto Gonzales and of course, Bush’s sidekick, Dick Cheney, have proclaimed “inherent powers” when reciting the expanded powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief. Thus this administration has proclaimed Bush as the world’s policeman who is the Commander-Without-Question who is in charge of enforcing the law from his comfortable perch above it.

It should also be noted that our founding fathers did not invent a form of democracy or government that was infallible. They realized that as they formed their constitution and laws that they could have made mistakes. It is even stated in the Declaration of Independence right after the “pursuit of happiness” sentence:

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

This being the case, why are we so blatantly passive as our rights under the Constitution are being violated, our human rights are being desecrated, and the judicial system is being politicized? And, all the while, we sit back while one man dictates the aggressive pursuit of imperial democracy and unchecked military spending? Our fore fathers not only knew this could happen but expressed in their very documents that we have recourse if it does. What has happened to us? Why don’t we stand up to this outrage? Where have we gone wrong?

I believe our fore fathers would be disgusted with us today…we have no backbone. Our forefathers not only gave us permission to question or amend their laws but encouraged us to do so. Now, we need to give ourselves permission and do something about the imbalance of power that has been developing in our government. Speak out and let those in power know that we won’t tolerate this abuse anymore.