Why the government is out of touch and control

Malorn, you were right when you mentioned being active in the community.

My mom used to tell us kids to be part of the solution. Empty complaining wasn't acceptable. Building power and knowing how to use it a "life skill", just as important as learning how to swim or to drive a car.

She was active in the local community, often in the paper, knew who was connected to whom, greeted everyone on the street by first name, did fund raising for her party.

There was a swath of open land between the highway and our housing development. The plans were to build (about ten?) homes on the block, right to the edge of the road embankment. Mom gathered her facts and made a presentation to the planning commission. She knew who to push and how. The land remains a grassy field and playground, a buffer between the community and passing traffic.

We kids told her she should run for mayor, she'd win without any problem. She said, "Why should I become mayor when I determine who does?"

When Mom lay dying in the hospital, the staff and doctors stopped by to visit. They remembered her volunteer work and told us how she'd organized the fund raising for their new imaging center.

She wasn't allowed to finish the 8th grade but she was smarter than 99% of us.