The Wonderful Wizard of Us

By Tammy Derouin

Much like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, the United States is lost.  Dorothy was given the ability to get back home.  The power was within her.  All she had to do was figure it out.  Instead, she sought the help of the powerful wizard.  She met individuals along the way who also had problems.  They traveled together singing a tune of hope in anticipation of change. 

In the end, the wizard didn’t have any magical powers. He was an ordinary man who took advantage of a situation.  He convinced a land that he was all powerful.  The smoke and mirrors, fear and intimidation, were all part of the act.  He was elevated to a position above all others.  He was god-like.

Representative Trey Gowdy asked a very good question this past week, “How does going from being a senator to a president rewrite the Constitution?”  He went on to make a very good point, “process matters.”  We yell foul if we are harmed because someone didn’t follow the rules.  Why aren’t more Americans concerned about the blatant power grab, the encroachment on our Constitutional rights by the executive branch?  Why aren’t more Americans demanding answers and action from Congress?  Why do we accept so much abuse of power?  Fear and intimidation have been instilled in us.

Rules and laws are put into place to create a system of order.  Our government is supposed to follow a process; a certain procedure, the Constitution.  Our system of government was designed to restrain the power hungry, but it will only work if we the people enforce it.   

Americans have elected and continue to reelect those who wish to destroy our way of life.  Our freedoms are under constant attack by those who have sworn to uphold the Constitution, the law of the land.  They are willfully creating a two class system, the rich and powerful on one end, the poor and working class on the other end. 

Too many have forgotten why we broke from British rule.  The war has already been fought.  If Americans knew more of their history, they would recognize the signs of a power grab.  What does a want-a-be dictator do before he assumes all power?  What kind of chaos and instability does such an individual initiate causing the people to turn to him for help?  If only there was a history book available.

We have become our own worst enemy.  Americans have allowed freedom to slip away while welcoming tyranny with open arms.  Because of fear, Americans are turning every aspect of their lives over to the government.  The government is deciding everything for us, including how much sugar we are allowed to consume, how big our soda should be and what is acceptable for our meals.

We have accepted government spying and are being encouraged to spy on our neighbors.  Guns and weapons have been demonized to the point where we feel only the police and military, which is the government, should have them.  We have accepted the government version of all information.  I don’t know about you, but just these few points alone are screaming Nazi Germany.

Kim Jong Un won the election in North Korea.  He won with unanimous approval of his district where there was 100 percent turnout.  Anything sound familiar?  The media rushed in to report his victory.  The state-run Korean Central News Agency said, “This is an expression of all the service personnel and people’s absolute support and profound trust in supreme leader Kim Jong Un as they single-mindedly remain loyal to him.”  Does anything sound just a little eerie?

Kim Jong Un was the only one on the ballot.  Nobody ran against him.  Voters could either vote yes or no.  Why bother with an election?  The Supreme People’s Assembly doesn’t meet very often, about once a year.  They have little power.  When they aren’t in session, a smaller, more powerful body does the work for them.  It’s called the Presidium. 

Feeling a little uncomfortable?   Good, because this is our future if we continue to ignore the abuse of power throughout our government.  Fear and intimidation have caused the people of North Korea to accept without question their god-like Presidium.

Dorothy had a pair of slippers.  We have our Constitution.  Before we sink deeper into our self-inflicted nightmare, let’s read, understand and use the Constitution.  We don’t need a wizard; we have the power within us to get back on track. 

We are lost and severely off course.  We are creating a very powerful wizard, The Wonderful Wizard of U.S.

 “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.”

The Wizard of Oz