Introduction

Fellow Americans, is our country truly the “land of the free and home of the brave”, as we were affectionately dubbed in 1814? Or is the notion so deeply ingrained in all of us that we believe we are free regardless of circumstance?

Though freedom is a subjective concept, freedom in America is always measured by the Constitution. Some people say the Constitution is an outdated document which doesn't apply to a technological, global society. To them, I say: The Constitution created our government, not the other way around. Our government cannot destroy the Constitution without destroying itself. The government is as legally bound to the Constitution as we citizens are bound to the government. The Constitution is a forward-looking document that protects citizens from a tyrannical government - it's ludicrous to think of disregarding it!

But Americans fell asleep at the wheel. We elected people to the Congress to represent our views - as is our Constitutional right to do - and then failed to monitor their activities. Which is also our Constitutional right to do.

While we were asleep, our lawmakers slipped their greasy fingers into all aspects of our lives. Think for a moment about your daily life. Is there any transaction in which government is not involved? Let's use my average day for example: I start my day by using electrical appliances. TAXED. Then I drive my car. REGULATED and TAXED. I go to work in an office. REGULATED. I earn money. TAXED. I buy lunch. REGULATED and TAXED. I put on hand lotion. REGULATED and TAXED. If any of these taxes and regulations are violated, men with guns will visit me, and perhaps lock me in a prison against my will. And that's just before noon!

Our country didn't begin this way and was never intended to be this way. Not paying attention to government activities has led us to this point. To the point where more people watch panda bears sneezing on YouTube than watch the national evening news or read a newspaper. Today, many Americans cannot even name their congressional representatives, much less know what legislation they've sponsored or supported.

But still we complain....that taxes are high, that jobs are rare, that corruption is rampant...and we don't know how things got this bad, but we surely know its the fault of the last President. Or the current President. Take your pick.

In reality, the President of our great nation can serve only two four-year terms. Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate can serve an UNLIMITED number of four- or six-year terms, respectively. In the current 111th Congress, 27% of Representatives have served for fifteen years or longer, in the Senate, 35% have served more than fifteen years. Which branch really has more impact on the overall conditions in America?

It's those nameless people who write our laws, spend our money, declare our wars, go to jail for corruption, yet continue to win elections. Our collective inattention has allowed this culture to flourish and prosper.

No matter what your political affiliation, its easy to agree that things are out of hand in Washington, DC. Our votes allowed it to happen, and our votes are the only thing that can change it.

With this column, I aim to shine a light on the activities of the federal government. I'll show you the actual legislation being discussed in the news, and expose its authors and beneficiaries. I will discuss specific facts, not talking points. I will encourage all to know, and contact their elected officials. If any material presented here changes one uneducated vote into an educated one, I'll consider it a smashing success.